- Date
- July 30, 2005, 12:50 local (17:50 UTC)
- Place
- New Braunfels, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N18VHRobinson R22 Beta II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- SAT FSDO
- FAA report
- 20050730016309A
- Case key
- 62091
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 and delayed remedial action by the flight instructor.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The 450-hour flight instructor stated that the student pilot picked up the helicopter to a 4-foot hover into the wind. The instructor then looked behind and to the left to ensure that the taxiway was clear. At this point, the helicopter descended and caught the left skid on the pavement. The instructor stated before he "could lower collective or push cyclic to the right, the helicopter turned over on its left side".
Factual narrative
On July 30, 2005, approximately 1250 central daylight time, a single-engine Robinson R22 helicopter, N18VH, sustained substantial damage when it impacted the taxiway while hovering at New Braunfels Municipal Airport (BAZ), New Braunfels, Texas. The flight instructor and his student pilot were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan was not filed for the training flight, which was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The local flight originated from New Braunfels Municipal Airport, New Braunfels, Texas, approximately 1245.
In a written statement, the 450-hour flight instructor stated that student pilot picked up the helicopter to a 4-foot hover into the wind. The instructor then looked behind and to the left to ensure that the taxiway was clear. At this point, the helicopter descended and caught the left skid on the pavement. The instructor stated before he "could lower collective or push cyclic to the right, the helicopter turned over on its left side."
The student pilot receiving instruction, who had accumulated 16-hours of instruction in the helicopter, reported a similar sequence of events and added that he, "moved laterally to the left, descended as we were moving and caught the left skid and rolled over."
An examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed structural damage to the tail boom. The rotor blades struck the ground and were damaged, and the left skid was also damaged.
At 1251, the automated weather observing system at BAZ, reported wind from 080 at 06 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, clear skies, temperature 91 degrees Fahrenheit, dew point 68 degrees Fahrenheit, and a barometric pressure setting of 30.12 inches of Mercury.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N18VH
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3503
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Silver State Helicopters, LLC, doing business as New Braunfels, Tx Flight Academy
- Registered owner
- Silver State Helicopters LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- BAZ · New Braunfels, TX
- Destination
- BAZ · New Braunfels, TX
- Airport
- BAZ · New Braunfels Municipal
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2005
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 450 total · 352 in this make and model · 383 as pilot in command · 147 in the last 90 days · 87 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 16 total · 16 in this make and model · 14 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 91 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- BAZ
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.