- Date
- October 31, 2005, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lawrenceville, GA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N861MPRobinson Beta II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Atlanta FSDO
- FAA report
- 20051031029589A
- Case key
- 62745
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper use of flight controls which resulted in a collision with a fence.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
According to the student pilot, he lifted the collective control of the helicopter and it began to turn left. The pilot lowered the collective control, applied right anti-torque input, and added power. The helicopter began spinning to the right, collided with a fence, and the helicopter rolled over on its right side and came to a stop. Examination of the helicopter revealed the tail boom separated from the airframe and the man rotor blades were buckled at the main rotor mass. The student pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
On October 31, 2005 at 1130 eastern daylight time, a Robinson Beta II helicopter, N861MP, registered to and operated by Blue Ridge Helicopters Inc., collided with the ground at Gwinnett County - Briscoe Field, Lawrenceville, Georgia, and was substantially damaged. The student pilot was not injured. The instructional flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident and no flight plan was filed.
According to the student pilot, he lifted the collective control of the helicopter and it began to turn left. The pilot lowered the collective control, applied right anti-torque input, and added power. The helicopter began spinning to the right, and then collided with a fence. The helicopter rolled over on the right side and came to a stop. Examination of the helicopter revealed the tail boom separated from the airframe and the main rotor blades were buckled at the main rotor mass. The student pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N861MP
- Reported as
- Robinson Beta II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3366
- Airframe hours
- 1,047
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Blue Ridge Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 1, 2005 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- LZU · Lawrenceville, GA
- Destination
- LZU · Lawerance, GA
- Airport
- LZU · Gwinnett County - Briscoe Fiel
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 60 total · 60 in this make and model · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.34 inHg
- Observed at
- LZU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.