- Date
- May 20, 2011, 13:37 local (18:37 UTC)
- Place
- Lansing, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7197ZRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 3, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA DuPage FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110520009769A
- Case key
- 79172
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 while hovering.
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
The student pilot reported that it was his first solo helicopter flight. He performed two takeoffs and landings with his flight instructor on board, and then the instructor got out of the helicopter. The student pilot took off, flew a normal traffic pattern, and made a successful full-stop landing. He taxied off the runway and set the helicopter back down on the taxiway. He lifted off the ground again into a hover and started to taxi to the ramp where the instructor was located. The instructor observed the student pilot lose control of the helicopter as he was doing a pedal turn to the left. The helicopter did a “massive yaw, pitch, and roll.” It hit the ground on its aft skids, bending the aft skid tube. It bounced up, rolled left in a nose-high attitude, and the tail rotor struck the ground. The operator reported that there was no mechanical malfunction with or failure of the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The student pilot reported that it was his first solo helicopter flight. He performed two takeoffs and landings with his instructor on board, and then the instructor pilot got out of the helicopter. The student pilot took off, flew a normal traffic pattern, and made a successful full stop landing. He taxied off the runway and set the helicopter back down on the taxiway. He lifted off the ground again into a hover and started to taxi to the ramp where the instructor pilot was located. The instructor pilot reported that he observed the student pilot lose control of the helicopter as he was doing a pedal turn to the left. The helicopter did a “massive yaw, pitch, and roll.” It hit the ground on its aft skids, bending the aft skid tube. It bounced up, rolled left in a nose high attitude, and the tail rotor struck the ground. The operator reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7197Z
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3249
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-I2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sun Aero Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- Sun Aero Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- IGQ · Lansing, IL
- Destination
- IGQ · Lansing, IL
- Airport
- IGQ · Lansing 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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 35 total · 35 in this make and model · 20 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- IGQ
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 900 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.