- Date
- October 28, 2023, 09:46 local (13:46 UTC)
- Place
- Ronkonkoma, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N964SHRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- 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
- 20231028018349A
- Case key
- 193332
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 abrupt control input and the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action, 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
The flight instructor was teaching the student pilot to hover the helicopter about 5 ft above a grass area. The student pilot was having difficulty with over-controlling the helicopter and had been applying abrupt control inputs. The flight instructor was demonstrating the behavior of the helicopter with the application of collective control when the student pilot raised the collective control too hard, which resulted in the helicopter tilting right. The flight instructor attempted to correct, but the student pilot was holding the controls tightly and the helicopter’s right skid contacted the ground, resulting in a dynamic rollover. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N964SH
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3941
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 6,015
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying Helicopters Made Easy
- Registered owner
- I1 Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 14, 2023 · 85 hours before
- Airport
- ISP · Long Island Mac Arthur Airport
- 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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 16, 2023
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 3,800 total · 1,300 in this make and model · 3,650 as pilot in command · 290 in the last 90 days · 90 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 5 total · 5 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ISP
- METAR
- SPECI KISP 281439Z 28009KT 10SM CLR 24/16 A3000
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.4 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.