- Date
- May 1, 2014, 19:10 local (23:10 UTC)
- Place
- Frederick, MD
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N802CPRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 5, 2014
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- FAA report
- 20140501005479A
- Case key
- 89154
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 directional control during the hover, and the flight instructors lack of remedial action, resulting in a dynamic rollover and structural damage to the helicopter.
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
According to the flight instructor, his student was practicing hover operations over a grassy area of the airport. This was the first flight in a helicopter for the student pilot. The helicopter drifted to the right while descending. The right skid contacted the grass and the helicopter rolled to the right and the main rotor blades contacted the ground. The helicopter continued to roll over and came to rest on its right side. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the helicopter and confirmed substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and main rotor blades. The pilots reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, his student was practicing hover operations over a grassy area of the airport. This was the first flight in a helicopter for the student pilot. The helicopter drifted to the right while descending. The right skid contacted the grass and the helicopter rolled to the right and the main rotor blades contacted the ground. The helicopter continued to roll over and came to rest on its right side. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the helicopter and confirmed substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and main rotor blades. The pilots reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N802CP
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2270
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 6,621
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Advanced Helicopter Concepts Inc
- Registered owner
- Advanced Helicopter Concepts Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 9, 2014 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Destination
- FDK · Frederick, MD
- Airport
- FDK · Frederick Muni
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
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 18, 2014
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,060 total · 208 in this make and model · 2,990 as pilot in command · 140 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,361 total · 1 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.75 inHg
- Observed at
- FDK
Docket · 12
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 27, 2014, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.9 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.