20220523008219A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Nashua, NH · May 23, 2022

Date: May 23, 2022 · 11:00 local
Place: Nashua, NH
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N666U
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA22LA236
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 10,560 total8,560 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N666URegistration cancelled Jun 8, 2023 · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 10476 · Built 2004 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The purpose of the flight was to provide instruction to the privacy data omittedstudent in the R44. On this particular day, the student was working on pick up and touchdowns while in the non-movement area in front of cr helicopters at the Nashua airport. After two successful attempts at picking up and touching down, the flight instruction explained to the student that he was using too firm of a grip on the cyclic and collective. The flight instructor took the controls to demonstration a method he called ?cupping? To have a lighter feel on the controls. In doing so, he placed the student?s collective in his right hand and his cyclic in the left hand, purposely cross-controlling. While cross-controlled, the flight instructor attempted a pick-up, where he quickly lost control resulting in the helicopter banking too FAR to the left and causing a dynamic rollover. The dynamic rollover against the pavement caused significant damage to the helicopter.

As the FAA filed it

THE PURPOSE OF THE FLIGHT WAS TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^STUDENT IN THE R44. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, THE STUDENT WAS WORKING ON PICK UP AND TOUCHDOWNS WHILE IN THE NON-MOVEMENT AREA IN FRONT OF CR HELICOPTERS AT THE NASHUA AIRPORT. AFTER TWO SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS AT PICKING UP AND TOUCHING DOWN, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTION EXPLAINED TO THE STUDENT THAT HE WAS USING TOO FIRM OF A GRIP ON THE CYCLIC AND COLLECTIVE. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS TO DEMONSTRATION A METHOD HE CALLED ?CUPPING? TO HAVE A LIGHTER FEEL ON THE CONTROLS. IN DOING SO, HE PLACED THE STUDENT?S COLLECTIVE IN HIS RIGHT HAND AND HIS CYCLIC IN THE LEFT HAND, PURPOSELY CROSS-CONTROLLING. WHILE CROSS-CONTROLLED, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ATTEMPTED A PICK-UP, WHERE HE QUICKLY LOST CONTROL RESULTING IN THE HELICOPTER BANKING TOO FAR TO THE LEFT AND CAUSING A DYNAMIC ROLLOVER. THE DYNAMIC ROLLOVER AGAINST THE PAVEMENT CAUSED SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA22LA236Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportNashua, NHThe flight instructor’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the takeoff, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.May 23, 2022 · Substantial damage