# Accident 20191104018819A: Robinson Helicopter Company R22, Smoketown, PA, November 4, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 4, 2019, 11:18 local time
- Place: Smoketown, PA
- Airport: Smoketown
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.0417° N, 76.2019° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.0417&lon=-76.2019&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8560A, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8560A-2020-03-05) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 (registry code 7640102, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R22
- Reported engine: AVCO-LYCOMING O-320-B2C
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 313 total, 250 in this make and model, 53 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA20CA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA20CA060) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20191104018819A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HAD BEEN AT WORK APPROXIMATELY 4 HOURS STARTING AT 7:00 AM BEFORE THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, PERFORMING PREFLIGHT AND GROUND INSTRUCTION DUTIES.  THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENT PILOT HAD BEEN AT THE 14 CFR PART 61 FLIGHT SCHOOL FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 HOURS.  THE WEATHER OBSERVATION FROM THE NEAREST WEATHER STATION (KLNS) AT 10:53 AM INDICATED CLEAR SKIES, WINDS FROM 170 DEGREES AT 8 KNOTS WITH NO GUSTS AND 10 MILES VISIBILITY.  THE TEMPERATURE WAS 12 DEGREES CELSIUS, DEW POINT WAS -01 DEGREES CELSIUS, AND THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS 30.24 IN HG.

THE HELICOPTER WAS NEAR THE COMPLETION OF A ?DISCOVERY FLIGHT? AND WAS HOVERING APPROXIMATELY 2 FEET OR LESS OVER THE SOD NORTH OF THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY TO RUNWAY 10/28 HEADING APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREES.  THE TERRAIN AT THE ACCIDENT SITE SLOPES DOWN TOWARD THE TAXIWAY APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 DEGREES. THE INSTRUCTOR WAS DEMONSTRATING HOW THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WORK WHILE HOVERING BY ALLOWING THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENT TO COME ON ONE FLIGHT CONTROL AT A TIME.  THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENT HAD CONTROL OF THE CYCLIC ?T? BAR WHILE THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WAS GUARDING THE CYCLIC.  THE HELICOPTER WAS DRIFTING LATERALLY TO THE RIGHT WHEN THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ALLOWED IT TO SETTLE.  THE REAR OF THE RIGHT SKID TUBE CONTACTED AND DUG INTO THE SOD CREATING A PIVOT POINT.  THE LATERAL DRIFT WAS NOT RECOGNIZED NOR ARRESTED BY THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AND THE HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED DYNAMIC ROLLOVER.  BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND, SHEARING BOTH MAIN ROTOR PITCH CHANGE LINKS FROM THE BLADE GRIPS AND THE DRIVE LINK FROM THE SWASHPLATE.  BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH GROUND CONTACT WHILE UNDER POWER. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENT PILOT WERE UNINJURED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB GAA20CA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA20CA060), Nov 4, 2019: Robinson R22 (N8560A), Smoketown, PA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot's improper cyclic input while hovering and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.