- Date
- May 31, 2023, 13:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Pontiac, MI · Airport
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7102ZRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA East Michigan FSDO
- FAA report
- 20230531010789A
- Case key
- 192275
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 flight crew’s inadequate compensation for gusting wind, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in impact with the ground.
Findings · 3
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
A flight instructor and a private pilot receiving instruction were performing a hovering maneuver as part of a flight lesson. During an exchange of the flight controls, a gust of wind moved the helicopter backward. The flight instructor reassumed control of the helicopter, but the tail rotor assembly struck the ground and separated from the helicopter. He then performed a hovering autorotation, the helicopter landed upright on its skids and the occupants egressed the helicopter without injury. The ground strike resulted in substantial damage to the tailboom assembly. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7102Z
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2309
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 146.24
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-F1B5, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Michigan Helicopters LLC, doing business as N/A
- Registered owner
- Michigan Helicopters LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 10, 2023 · 42.5 hours before
- Departed
- PTK · Waterford, MI
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- PTK · Oakland County Intl, runway 9R/27L, 6,521 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 44
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Remote, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 18, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 9,165 total · 6,675 in this make and model
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 235 total · 235 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 6 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KPTK
- METAR
- KPTK 311753Z 17006G16KT 10SM FEW070 29/11 A3012 RMK SLPNO
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 28, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.