- Date
- September 24, 2017, 09:25 local (16:25 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N177SRRobinson Helicopter R22
- Defining event
- Landing: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- FAA report
- 20170924021709A
- Case key
- 96085
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 unstabilized hover, which resulted in ground contact and a dynamic rollover. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
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 providing hover instruction to his airplane-rated student about 3 ft above the ground. The instructor reported that he allowed the student to make the necessary flight control inputs as he guarded the controls. The area was level with 1-ft-tall weeds. The helicopter began to drift laterally and descend. The right skid contacted the weeds, and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The instructor reported that "I was not quick enough in lowering the collective to prevent full rollover." The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and engine mounts. Per the National Transportation Safety Board's Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented by instructing hover practice at a "higher altitude and away from obstacles that may serve as a pivot point leading to dynamic rollover." The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor in the skid-equipped helicopter, he was providing hover instruction to his airplane rated student, about three feet above the ground. The instructor reported that he allowed the student to make the necessary flight control inputs, as he guarded the controls. The area was level, with 1ft tall weeds. The helicopter began to drift laterally and descend. The right skid contacted the weeds and the helicopter rolled onto its right-side. The instructor reported that, "I was not quick enough in lowering the collective to prevent full rollover." The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and engine mounts. Per the National Transportation Safety Board's Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, the instructor reported that the accident could have been prevented by instructing hover practice at a, "higher altitude and away from obstacles that may serve as a pivot point leading to dynamic rollover." The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N177SR
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 (Beta)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3275
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 2,626.2
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Tumbleweed Leasing Co Inc
- Registered owner
- Tumbleweed Leasing Co Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 22, 2017
- Departed
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Destination
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Airport
- SBA · Santa Barbara Muni
- Equipment
- Stall warning system
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 57
- Injuries
- Minor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 12,650 total · 450 in this make and model · 12,470 as pilot in command · 225 in the last 90 days · 125 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 78
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 29, 1993
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 522 total · 77 in this make and model · 323 as pilot in command · 77 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
- Observed at
- KSBA
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 30, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.