- Date
- March 23, 2018, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place
- Farmingdale, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N72QCRobinson Helicopter R22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Abrupt maneuver
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180323000259I
- Case key
- 97101
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 rapid lowering of the collective, which resulted in a hard landing.
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 reported that, during the landing from a hover, he and the student pilot were both on the controls, with the student manipulating the controls. He added that, when the helicopter was about 8" above the ground, the student lowered the collective rapidly. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard, the student immediately raised the collective to re-establish a hover, and the instructor took the flight controls and landed without further incident. A postaccident examination revealed the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that, during the landing from a hover, he and the student pilot were both on the controls, with the student manipulating the controls. He added that, when the helicopter was about 8" above the ground, the student lowered the collective rapidly. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard, the student immediately raised the collective to re-establish a hover, and the instructor took the flight controls and landed without further incident. A post-accident examination revealed the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72QC
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2033
- Built
- 1991
- Airframe hours
- 4,151
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying Helicopters Made Easy
- Registered owner
- ArtNet Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 1, 2018
- Departed
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Destination
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
- Airport
- FRG · Republic
- Equipment
- None
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 25
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Foreign, Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 21, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 320 total · 118 in this make and model · 260 as pilot in command · 55 in the last 90 days · 24 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 39.7 total · 39.7 in this make and model · 11.6 in the last 90 days · 6.1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 21 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.01 inHg
- Observed at
- KFRG
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 21, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.