- Date
- February 26, 2007, 09:20 local (14:20 UTC)
- Place
- Covington, GA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N448BPRobinson R-44
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Atlanta FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070226001899A
- Case key
- 65339
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 student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during liftoff, which resulted in an in-flight collision with the ground.
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
The student pilot lost control of the helicopter after takeoff during his first solo flight and struck the ground in uncontrolled flight. According to the student pilot, "I lifted off and obtained a stable hover. As I started forward in the helicopter, it started to gyrate. I remember coming down in the grassy area at the entrance to the airport. The main rotor blades struck the ground. The next thing I remember is the Air Rescue people working to get me out of the helicopter." The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), stated that this was the student pilot's first solo flight. The student pilot and the CFI had been doing dual flight instruction for about 45 minutes prior to the accident. Following the dual instruction the CFI ask the student pilot if he "felt good about a solo, and he stated yes". The student pilot lifted off with a "slight bobble" to about a five foot hover and seemed to recover from the "bobble". The CFI was in communication with the student by 2-way radio. The student lifted the helicopter upward and the helicopter started to gyrate erratically, gradually moving northbound. The student lost control and the helicopter struck the ground approximately 150 yards from the liftoff spot. Examination of the helicopter by an FAA inspector found that the helicopter struck the ground in a nose down attitude, substantially damaging the main rotors and cockpit. There were no mechanical problems reported by the student pilot or discovered during the post-accident examination of the helicopter.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, "I lifted off and obtained a stable hover. As I started forward in the helicopter, it started to gyrate. I remember coming down in the grassy area at the entrance to the airport. The main rotor blades struck the ground. The next thing I remember is the Air Rescue people working to get me out of the helicopter."
According to the Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), this was the student pilot's first solo flight. The student pilot and the CFI had been doing dual flight instruction for about 45 minutes prior to the accident. Following the dual instruction the CFI asked the student pilot if he "felt good about a solo, and he stated yes". The student pilot lifted off with a "slight bobble" to about a five foot hover and seemed to recover from the "bobble". The CFI was in communication with the student by 2-way radio. The student lifted the helicopter upward and the helicopter started to gyrate erratically, gradually moving northbound. The student lost control and the helicopter struck the ground approximately 150 yards from the liftoff spot. Shortly after the accident emergency personnel arrived and provided medical assistance to the student pilot.
A witness stated that the R-44, lifted off from the taxiway. After lift off it appeared to "wobble" then the pilot got control of the R-44. He then lifted more and flew north. At approximately 120-feet above the ground the helicopter seemed to pitch nose up and then nose down and then flew into the ground.
Examination of the helicopter by an FAA inspector found that the helicopter struck the ground in a nose down attitude, substantially damaging the main rotors and cockpit. There were no mechanical problems reported by the student pilot or discovered during the post-accident examination of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N448BP
- Reported as
- Robinson R-44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10379
- Airframe hours
- 679.7
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-550-AE1A5, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Blue Ridge Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Heliflight LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 1, 2006 · 79.7 hours before
- Departed
- 9A1 · Covington, GA
- Destination
- 9A1 · Covington, GA
- Airport
- 9A1 · Covington Municipal Airport
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
- 56
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 67 total · 67 in this make and model · 29 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- PDK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.