- Date
- March 1, 2022, 11:20 local (16:20 UTC)
- Place
- Fallston, MD · Fallston Airport (KW42)
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N786SHRobinson Helicopter R22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Dynamic rollover
- 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
- 20220301003629A
- Case key
- 104715
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 unstabilized hover, which resulted in ground contact and a dynamic rollover. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student and his delayed remedial action.
Findings · 8
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 his student were performing maneuvers as part of a flight lesson. About 40 minutes into the flight, while attempting a left pedal turn, the helicopter descended just enough to touch the left rear skid, which surprised the student, who then added right lateral cyclic control. The helicopter’s right skid dug in the ground, and the helicopter rolled over on to its right side, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor blades. The helicopter manufacturer’s flight maneuvers guide advised that a 5-foot hover should be used for all taxi and hover operations, and a minimum 5-foot hover was the policy of the flight school. After the accident, the flight school had discussions with all their helicopter instructors to emphasize the need to maintain proper height above the ground, the need to closely guard the controls while instructing, and the need for improved awareness of the capabilities and experience of the students.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N786SH
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3626
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 7,473.86
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Fly For Fun Aircraft LLC, doing business as Middle River Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Spitzer Helicopter LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 2, 2022
- Departed
- MTN · Baltimore, MD
- Destination
- W42 · Fallston, MD
- Airport
- W42 · Fallston Airport, runway 22, 2,200 × 50 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 6, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,038 total · 828 in this make and model · 969 as pilot in command · 126 in the last 90 days · 776 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 35
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 14, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 143 total · 2 in this make and model · 83 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.13 inHg
- Observed at
- KMTN, 10 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KMTN 011654Z 13007KT 10SM BKN120 07/02 A3013
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 8, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 8.0 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.