- Date
- December 22, 2010, 14:20 local (20:20 UTC)
- Place
- Hemphill, TX
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N841SARobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20101222054639A
- Case key
- 78050
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 improper decision to carry an unauthorized passenger and the passenger’s loss of control of the helicopter during take-off.
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 Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the helicopter’s owner, who held a student pilot certificate, flew with a passenger from a local airport to a lake house. Upon departure from the lake house, the passenger was at the controls of the helicopter. As the helicopter started to lift off from the ground, it made a sharp turn to the right. The student pilot added that he was unable to take the controls from the passenger and regain control of the helicopter. The helicopter’s tailrotor struck the ground and the helicopter subsequently rolled left and into the lake, where it sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tailboom, main and tailrotor blades.
Factual narrative
According to a telephone interview with a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the helicopter’s owner, who held a student pilot certificate, flew with a passenger from a local airport to a lake house. Upon departure from the lake house residence, the passenger was at the controls of the helicopter. As the helicopter started to lift off from the ground, it made a sharp turn to the right. The student pilot added that he was unable to take the controls from the passenger and regain control of the helicopter. The helicopter’s tailrotor struck the ground and subsequently rolled left and into the lake. The FAA inspector stated that the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tailboom, main and tailrotor blades. A completed copy of NTSB Form 6120.1, Pilot/Operator Accident Report, was not submitted by the student pilot as requested.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N841SA
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 12302
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- TGB Equipment Leasing LLC
- Registered owner
- TGB Equipment Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Hemphill, TX
- Destination
- Hemphill, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- Private field
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
- 45
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 24, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 82 KB 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.