- Date
- August 17, 1989, 11:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- Manassas, VA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8557HRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 5, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11523
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
Improper use of the cyclic control by the student pilot and his failure to relinquish control of the helicopter to the instructor (CFI). A contributing factor was the student's lack of experience.
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.
Loss of control - in flight
Cyclic - improper use ofCause
Lack of total experienceFactor
Remedial action - attempted
Relinquishing of control - not performedCause
Roll over
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8557H
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0460
- Airframe hours
- 2,252
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Allan Bernstein
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 27, 1989 · 44 hours before
- Airport
- W10 · Manassas Muni
N8557HRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22 ALPHAAirframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 ALPHAEngine modelLycoming 0-320 series
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 850 total · 350 in this make and model · 760 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 64 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F