- Date
- December 11, 2022, 12:20, time zone not recorded
- Place
- Gilgo-Oak Beach-Captree, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Emergency descent
- Aircraft
- N14HTRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Autorotation: 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
- 20221211018849A
- Case key
- 106440
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 inadequate remedial action while supervising the student pilot’s practice autorotation in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
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
After practicing maneuvers, autorotative approaches, and landings in the local area, the flight instructor and the student pilot were practicing autorotative landings from a hover following a simulated loss of engine power, off-airport, and over sandy terrain. While hovering about 3 ft. above the ground, the student pilot reduced engine power to enter an autorotation. Between 1 and 2 ft. above the ground, a gust of wind struck the helicopter from the right that resulted in the helicopter rolling and drifting to the left. The flight instructor then took control of the helicopter, but the left roll and drift continued, the left skid impacted the ground, and the helicopter experienced a dynamic rollover onto its left side. During the rollover, the main rotor blades impacted the ground and the tailboom and main rotor mast pylon were substantially damaged. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N14HT
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4040
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 5,469
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- N7047x-R22 LLC, doing business as Flying Helicopters Made Easy
- Registered owner
- N7047x-R22 LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 30, 2022
- Departed
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Destination
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- 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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 21, 2021
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,549.7 total · 609.2 in this make and model · 1,454.2 as pilot in command · 135.3 in the last 90 days · 49.4 in the last 30 days · 3.2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 68
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 69.5 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 70° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,700 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- FRG, 6 nm away
- METAR
- KFRG 111653Z 07009KT 10SM OVC017 04/00 A3020 RMK AO2 RAB28E38 SLP228 P0000 T00390000
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 7, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.1 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.