- Date
- September 14, 2016, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Cedar City, UT
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N46HFRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 4, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160914018319A
- Case key
- 94015
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 while providing hover instruction in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in dynamic roll-over.
Findings · 4
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 in the skid-equipped helicopter, he was teaching the student to hover over an asphalt helipad. He reported that he transferred the flight controls to the student and directed the student to maintain a stable hover. The nose pitched down, and a right lateral drift occurred. The flight instructor immediately grabbed the flight controls, but the front of the right skid contacted the ground. The main rotor blades then struck the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom, fuselage, and the main rotor blades. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter that would have prevented normal operation. The meteorological aerodrome report at the airport where the accident occurred reported that the wind was 200° at 9 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor in the skid-equipped helicopter, he was teaching the student to hover over an asphalt helipad. He reported that he transferred the flight controls to the student, directing the student to maintain a stable hover. The flight instructor reported that the nose pitched down and a right lateral drift occurred. He reported that he immediately grabbed the flight controls but the front of the right skid contacted the ground. The main rotor blades then struck the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom, fuselage, and the main rotor blades. The instructor reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with the helicopter during the flight that would have prevented normal flight operation. The meteorological aerodrome report at the airport where the accident occurred reported that the wind was out of 200° true at 9 knots, gusting to 18 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N46HF
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10494
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 3,796.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Southern Utah University
- Registered owner
- November Alpha LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 6, 2016
- Departed
- 1L9 · Parowan, UT
- Destination
- 1L9 · Parowan, UT
- Airport
- CDC · Cedar City Rgnl
- Equipment
- None
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 26, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 418 total · 207 in this make and model · 319 as pilot in command · 9.8 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 3.2 total · 3.2 in this make and model · 3.2 in the last 90 days · 3.2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KCDC, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 28, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.4 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.