- Date
- July 23, 2015, 13:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Corona, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N520NSRobinson Helicopter R-22
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- Riverside FSDO (FAA)
- FAA report
- 20150723023569A
- Case key
- 91638
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 delayed remedial action to arrest the descent rate, which resulted in a running landing, the left skid catching rough terrain, and the main rotor blades impacting the ground.
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
During a local instructional flight, the student pilot was at the flight controls during the second landing of the flight. The flight instructor reported that he began correcting the yaw rate for the student pilot in the landing flare. As the helicopter entered ground effect, the flight instructor reported that he was able to align the skids with the direction of travel, but they touched down with considerable forward momentum. During the running landing, the left skid caught rough terrain and rolled the helicopter to left. The main rotor blades impacted the terrain and stopped the helicopter from rolling over. The helicopter's pitch control linkages were substantially damaged. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
During a local instructional flight, the student pilot was at the flight controls during the second landing of the flight. The flight instructor reported that he began correcting the yaw rate for the student pilot in the landing flare. As the helicopter entered ground effect, the flight instructor reported that he was able to align the skids with the direction of travel, but they touched down with considerable forward momentum. During the running landing, the left skid caught rough terrain and rolled the helicopter to left. The main rotor blades impacted the terrain and stopped the helicopter from rolling over. The helicopter's pitch control linkages were substantially damaged. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N520NS
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4497
- Built
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 2,873.44
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- M.I. Air Corportation
- Registered owner
- Hanseo USA LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 23, 2015
- Departed
- AJO · Corona, CA
- Destination
- AJO · Corona, CA
- Airport
- AJO · Corona Muni, runway 25, 3,200 × 60 ft, grass/turf
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
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 731 total · 704 in this make and model · 658 as pilot in command · 91 in the last 90 days · 91 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5 total · 5 in this make and model · 5 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- KAJO
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 11, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.0 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.