# NTSB ANC06LA028: Robinson R-22B, N203DH, Kailua-Kona, HI, March 23, 2006 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: March 23, 2006, 08:45 local (18:45 UTC) - Place: Kailua-Kona, HI - Coordinates: 19.733333, -156.050003 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=19.7333&lon=-156.0500&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 31, 2006 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office - Parties: FAA-WP-HNL FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 63384 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC06LA028 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/63384/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC06LA028 ## Probable cause The flight instructor's delayed remedial action while conducting hover practice with a student pilot, which resulted in the helicopter contacting the ground and rolling over. A factor contributing to the accident was an inadvertent dynamic roll over. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, hover - in ground effect - remedial action - delayed, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - Roll over, hover - in ground effect - terrain condition - runway - dynamic rollover - inadvertent, pilot in command(cfi) (contributing factor) ## Analysis The certificated flight instructor was providing hovering instruction to a student in a skid-equipped helicopter under Title 14, CFR Part 91. The helicopter began to settle while drifting to the left, and the left skid contacted the ground, which resulted in a dynamic roll over. The helicopter rolled onto its left side and received structural damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and main rotor blades. The student pilot had received about 3 hours of initial helicopter instruction at the time of the accident. In his written statement to the NTSB, the flight instructor noted that the accident could have been prevented by maintaining a higher hover altitude, and by earlier intervention to the student's deviations. ## Factual narrative On March 23, 2006, about 0845 Hawaiian standard time, a skid-equipped Robinson R-22B helicopter, N203DH, sustained substantial damage when it rolled over while hovering at the Kona International Airport, Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The helicopter was being operated as a visual flight rules (VFR) local area instructional flight under Title 14, CFR Part 91, when the accident occurred. The helicopter was operated by Hawaii Pacific Aviation Inc., doing business as Mauna Loa Helicopters, Kailua. The certificated flight instructor and the student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. During a telephone conversation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), on March 23, the owner of the company reported that the student pilot was practicing hovering with the flight instructor aboard. The instructor told the owner that the helicopter began to settle while drifting to the left. The helicopter's left skid contacted the ground, which resulted in a dynamic roll over. The helicopter rolled onto its left side, and received structural damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and main rotor blades. The student pilot had received about 3 hours of initial helicopter instruction at the time of the accident. In the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1) submitted by the pilot, Page 10 contains an optional portion titled, Operator/Owner Safety Recommendation (How could this accident have been prevented?). The flight instructor wrote, "Maintain higher hover altitude for initial hover practice," and "Intervene earlier to deviations." ## Aircraft - Registration: [N203DH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N203DH-2007-01-31), registration cancelled 2007-01-31, S/N 2212, built 1992 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Robinson R-22B - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (registry code 7640110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 2212 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Registered owner: Hawaii Pacific Aviation Inc. - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Departed: PHKO, Kailua, HI - Airport: PHKO, Kona International Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 33; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review March 1, 2005; seat: left; flight hours: 1,059 total, 925 in this make and model, 1,005 as pilot in command, 225 in the last 90 days, 49 in the last 30 days, 6 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 40; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, unknown; seat: right; flight hours: 3 total, 3 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 160° at 5 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 73 °F - Altimeter: 29.89 inHg - Observed at: PHKO ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20060323004019A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060323004019A), Mar 23, 2006: Robsin R22BETA, Kailua-Kona, HI, Substantial damage. (-23) After completing flight operations in the traffic pattern, the aircraft requested to operate on ramp area bravo, between ramp kilo and taxiway delta.… 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. --- 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.