- Date
- January 23, 2014, 13:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N72APRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Landing-landing roll: Roll over
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 23, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20140123000219A
- Case key
- 88709
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 certificated flight instructor's failure to maintain helicopter control during a run-on landing, resulting in a rollover and ground collision.
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 certificated flight instructor (CFI) stated that during a local training flight he was demonstrating how to perform a run-on landing to the student pilot. During the landing, the helicopter began to travel toward the right edge of the paved surface. The CFI stated he countered the right slide with left cyclic input. As the helicopter approached the paved surface edge, the CFI raised collective in order to attempt put the helicopter into a hover but the helicopter left the paved surface. The helicopter subsequently rolled over on to the right side, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail boom, main rotor blades, and fuselage. According to a written report, there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) stated that during a local training flight he was demonstrating how to perform a run-on landing to the student pilot. During the landing, the helicopter began to travel toward the right edge of the paved surface. The CFI stated he countered the right slide with left cyclic input. As the helicopter approached the paved surface edge, the CFI raised collective in order to attempt put the helicopter into a hover but the helicopter left the paved surface. The helicopter subsequently rolled over on to the right side, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail boom, main rotor blades, and fuselage. According to a written report, there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72AP
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3541
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 2,232
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ocean Helicopters
- Registered owner
- November Alpha LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 7, 2014
- Departed
- F45 · West Palm Beach, FL
- Destination
- F45 · West Palm Beach, FL
- Airport
- F45 · North Palm Beach County Genera
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
- 34
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 362 total · 302 in this make and model · 118 in the last 90 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 26
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6 total · 6 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KPBI, 12 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 15, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.