- Date
- July 19, 2010, 16:30 local (21:30 UTC)
- Place
- Shreveport, LA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N721BBRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 20, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20100719040499A
- Case key
- 76701
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 takeoff, resulting in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and a subsequent hard landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to a written statement provided by the student helicopter pilot, he was practicing "sit downs and pick ups" to a grass field. The helicopter "sat down" uneventfully and the student pilot reduced power to chat with a friend. Shortly thereafter, the student pilot added power, ensured that all engine instruments were in the green, and attempted a takeoff. The student pilot detected a tailwind and applied left pedal correction; however, the helicopter yawed to the right one full rotation before the student pilot was able to set the helicopter back down. During the hard landing the horizontal stabilizer was bent, both tail rotor blades were damaged, the tail boom was wrinkled, and the fuselage was wrinkled on the right side. An examination of the helicopter and its related systems, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, revealed no preexisting anomalies.
Factual narrative
According to a written statement provided by the student pilot, he was practicing "sit downs and pick ups" to a grass field. The helicopter "sat down" uneventfully and the student pilot reduced power to chat with a friend. Shortly thereafter, the student pilot added power, ensured all engine instruments were in the green, and attempted a takeoff. The student pilot detected a tailwind and applied left pedal correction; however, the helicopter yawed to the right one full rotation before the student pilot was able to set the helicopter back down. During the hard landing the horizontal stabilizer was bent, both tail rotor blades were damaged, the tail boom was wrinkled, and the fuselage was wrinkled on the right side. An examination of the helicopter and its related systems, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, revealed no anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N721BB
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 12593
- Airframe hours
- 587
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Helieye LLC
- Registered owner
- Blount Bros Construction Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 8, 2010
- Departed
- KSHV · Shreveport, LA
- Destination
- KSHV · Shreveport, LA
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
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 44 total · 44 in this make and model · 6 as pilot in command · 17 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,800 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KSHV
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 16, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.