- Date
- December 21, 2024, 15:27 local (21:27 UTC)
- Place
- Springfield, MO
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N3104URobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: Loss of control on ground
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration, St. Louis Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20241221021039A
- Case key
- 199464
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 turning on the blower fan switch after landing that resulted in a dynamic rollover sequence.
Findings · 1
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 having completed one flight around the airport traffic pattern with a flight instructor in preparation for the student pilot’s first solo flight. They then landed near a fixed base operator at the airport, and the flight instructor exited the helicopter. The student pilot took off and practiced hovering, hovering taxi, and flew three airport traffic patterns before returning to the grass area at the airport for additional hover and hover taxi practice. The windshield began to fog during the additional practice, so the student pilot landed the helicopter to turn the blower fan switch on, but did not engage the collective friction or reduce the engine power. The student pilot said he had never used the blower fan switch, and it took a couple of seconds to locate, during which time the helicopter rolled right, and the main rotor blades contacted the ground. The helicopter came to rest on its left side. The blower fan switch is located near the floor between the pilot’s legs. The helicopter was destroyed by its impact with the ground. The student pilot stated there was no mechanical malfunctions/failures of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N3104U
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4061
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 1,254
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- So Fly Flight Training Academy, LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 24, 2024
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- 3DW · Downtown Airport
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 62
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Student, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 20, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,300 total · 27.3 in this make and model · 5,100 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.33 inHg
- Observed at
- SGF, 6 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 21, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 18.6 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.