- Date
- November 20, 2021, 11:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Lancaster, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N210JBK Copters 47G-2
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20211120022189A
- Case key
- 104281
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 ensure a positive transfer of aircraft control, which resulted in a loss of control and collision with terrain.
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, the purpose of the flight was to conduct hovering and pattern work maneuvers. After the completion of the flight, the student pilot was hovering and awaiting clearance to return to the ramp. The flight instructor said she was looking around to ensure the runway was clear and making a radio call, when suddenly, the helicopter pitched up. She attempted to gain control of the helicopter but was unsuccessful. The helicopter collided with the ground and rolled over. The flight instructor said she was not on the flight controls prior to the accident event. According to the student pilot, he stated that he was practicing hovering maneuvers for about an hour. He said that he was tired and transferred the controls to the flight instructor, as they waited to cross the field. The student pilot said that while they were waiting, the nose pitched up and the tailboom hit the ground. The helicopter then collided with the ground and rolled over. He said that he was not on the flight controls at the time of the accident. The helicopter was inspected by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector and revealed structural damage to the airframe. No flight control anomalies were discovered that would have precluded normal operation. During the FAA interviews of the pilots, both seemed to have believed that the other was on the flight controls at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N210JB
- Reported as
- K Copters 47G-2
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- K992
- Built
- 1969
- Airframe hours
- 2,156
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-435-A1F, 165 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 20, 2021 · 10 hours before
- Departed
- LNS · Lancaster, PA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- LNS · Lancaster
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 32
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 2,855 total · 43 in this make and model · 2,116 as pilot in command · 65 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Flight engineer, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,940 total · 17 in this make and model · 1,820 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 43 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.54 inHg
- Observed at
- KLNS
- METAR
- KLNS 201639Z 11004KT 10SM CLR 06/M03 A3054 RMK AO2 T00561028
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.1 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.