- Date
- February 6, 2017, 15:50 local (20:50 UTC)
- Place
- West Palm Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7685HRobinson R22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20170206000879A
- Case key
- 94689
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 flight instructor’s failure to maintain helicopter control while demonstrating low rotor rpm operations from a hover.
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
According to the flight instructor, he was conducting an instructional flight in the helicopter and demonstrating low-rotor rpm operations from a hover. The helicopter was at a 3-ft hover when he initiated the maneuver with the student pilot "on the flight controls" following the flight instructor's movements. As the throttle was reduced, the helicopter's nose began to rotate to the left. The flight instructor pushed the right antitorque pedal to counter the rotation, but the pedal initially felt like it was "blocked." The right skid contacted the taxiway, causing the helicopter to bounce and rotate to the right. The flight instructor applied full throttle and collective to attempt to gain altitude; however, the helicopter departed the taxiway, entered an adjacent grass area, and rolled over onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and the tailboom. Examination of the flight control system by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any anomalies. In addition, the flight instructor reported there was no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, he was conducting an instructional flight in the helicopter and demonstrating low rotor rpm operations from a hover. The helicopter was at a 3 ft hover when he initiated the maneuver, with the student pilot "on the flight controls" following the flight instructor's movements. As the throttle was reduced, the nose of the helicopter began to rotate to the left. The flight instructor pushed the right anti-torque pedal to counter the rotation but the pedal initially felt like it was "blocked." The right skid contacted the taxiway causing the helicopter to bounce and rotate to the right. The flight instructor applied full throttle and collective to attempt to gain altitude; however, the helicopter departed the taxiway, entered an adjacent grass area, and rolled over onto its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor and the tail boom. Examination of the flight control system by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any anomalies. In addition, the flight instructor reported there was no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7685H
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3362
- Built
- 2002
- Airframe hours
- 2,593.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Cloud 9 Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Higgins Leasing Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 16, 2016 · 42 hours before
- Departed
- F45 · West Palm Beach, FL
- Destination
- F45 · West Palm Beach, FL
- Airport
- F45 · North Palm Beach, runway 26R, 2,150 × 35 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- None
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 11, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 2,323 total · 653 in this make and model · 2,208 as pilot in command · 122 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 31, 2015
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 426 total · 24 in this make and model · 333 as pilot in command · 24 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,900 ft broken
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.15 inHg
- Observed at
- F45
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.8 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.