- Date
- November 28, 2013, 13:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Tunica, MS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N44DQRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 1, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20131128024169A
- Case key
- 88492
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 during the attempted takeoff, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot.
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
The flight instructor and the student pilot were practicing hovering autorotation maneuvers in a helicopter. Following a successful autorotation, and while the helicopter was on the ground with the collective pitch control fully lowered, the pilot told the student, "let's do another one." The flight instructor planned to remind the student pilot to center the anti-torque pedals, as some right pedal was still applied following the preceding autorotation. Before he could do so, the student pilot rapidly increased the engine throttle and the helicopter began yawing to the right. In order to keep the helicopter from sliding along the ground, the student forcefully increased the collective pitch. The helicopter lifted off the ground instantly and the flight instructor advised the student pilot, "I have controls." The student subsequently "locked up on the controls" and inadvertently applied full left anti-torque pedal as he attempted to brace himself. The helicopter yawed rapidly while in the air and the tail of the helicopter struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage. The flight instructor eventually regained control of the helicopter, reduced the throttle to idle, and performed a successful autorotation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor and the student pilot were practicing hovering autorotation maneuvers in a helicopter. Following a successful autorotation, and while the helicopter was on the ground with the collective pitch control fully lowered, the pilot told the student, "let's do another one." The flight instructor planned to remind the student pilot to center the anti-torque pedals, as some right pedal was still applied following the preceding autorotation. Before he could do so, the student pilot rapidly increased the engine throttle and the helicopter began yawing to the right. In order to keep the helicopter from sliding along the ground, the student forcefully increased the collective pitch. The helicopter lifted off the ground instantly and the flight instructor advised the student pilot, "I have controls." The student subsequently "locked up on the controls" and inadvertently applied full left anti-torque pedal as he attempted to brace himself. The helicopter yawed rapidly while in the air and the tail of the helicopter struck the ground, resulting in substantial damage. The flight instructor eventually regained control of the helicopter, reduced the throttle to idle, and performed a successful autorotation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N44DQ
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10821
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 4,176
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Upper Limit Aviation
- Registered owner
- Tumbleweed Leasing Co Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 25, 2013 · 17 hours before
- Departed
- UTA · Tunica, MS
- Destination
- UTA · Tunica, MS
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- UTA · Tunica 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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 27, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 369 total · 54 in this make and model · 300 as pilot in command · 149 in the last 90 days · 37 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 38 total · 38 in this make and model · 38 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 41 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.45 inHg
- Observed at
- KUTA
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 14, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.
Other investigations on N44DQ · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.