- Date
- July 10, 2017, 12:45 UTC
- Place
- Wilkes-Barre, PA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2336JRobinson Helicopter R22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170710011529A
- Case key
- 95561
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 maintain helicopter altitude during hover flight instruction, which resulted in the helicopter skid contacting a crack in the runway and 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
**This report was modified on July 17, 2020. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.** The flight instructor reported that he was teaching his student to hover in the helicopter. The helicopter was in a 2-ft hover and began drifting to the left. The left rear skid got caught in a crack in the runway, and the helicopter rolled left. According to the flight instructor, the student pilot pulled up on the collective, and the instructor attempted to push the collective down; however, the student pilot reported that he was not aware the flight instructor had transferred control of the helicopter to him and was "tracking the progress of the flight instructor." A dynamic rollover occurred, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The flight instructor reported that wind gusts may have been a factor in the accident. According to the METAR that the flight instructor was monitoring about the time of the accident, the wind was from 210° at 8 knots. The METAR reported no wind gusts and no convective activity that day. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and the main rotor system. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The helicopter flight instructor reported that he was teaching his student to hover. The helicopter was at a 2-foot hover and began drifting to the left. The left rear skid contacted the ground and a left roll ensued. The student pilot pulled up on the collective, and the instructor attempted to push the collective down. A dynamic rollover occurred, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The flight instructor reported that wind gusts may have been a factor in the accident. According to the METAR that was being monitored by the flight instructor about the time of the accident, the wind was from 210° at 8 knots. No wind gusts and no convective activity was reported via METAR that day. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and the main rotor system. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2336J
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 (Beta)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2168
- Built
- 1992
- Airframe hours
- 6,973.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-J2A, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Valley Aviation Inc, doing business as Valley Aviation
- Registered owner
- Stella Air Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 2017
- Departed
- KWBW · Forty Fort, PA
- Destination
- KWBW · Forty Fort, PA
- Airport
- WBW · Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley, runway 25, 3,375 × 75 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 50
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Private, Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 17, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 5,693 total · 1,487 in this make and model · 4,540 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 23 total · 23 in this make and model · 10 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KAVP, 6 nm away
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 13, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 14.8 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.