- Date
- July 27, 2018, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Lantana, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N479ATRobinson R44
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 18, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180727018159A
- Case key
- 97925
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 improper pitch control during landing, which resulted in 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
The helicopter instructor reported that, during the approach to land, about 5 ft above the ground, the student pilot overcorrected and moved the cyclic "back hard and slightly right." The right rear skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled to the right. The main rotor blades struck the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The student reported that he believed the skid strike and unusual attitude were caused by his inexperience. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades, the fuselage, and the tailboom. 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 helicopter instructor reported that, during the approach to land, about 5 feet above the ground, the student pilot overcorrected and moved the cyclic "back hard and slightly right". The right rear skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled to the right. The main rotor blades struck the ground and the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The student pilot reported that he believed the skid strike and unusual attitude were caused by his inexperience. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades, the fuselage and 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
- N479AT
- Reported as
- Robinson R44 (Undesignat)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1768
- Built
- 2007
- Airframe hours
- 3,720.8
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-F1B5, 225 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Airmen Testing And Training Inc Dba
- Registered owner
- Airmen Testing And Training Inc Dba
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 4, 2018
- Departed
- LNA · Lantana, FL
- Destination
- LNA · Lantana, FL
- Airport
- LNA · Palm Beach County Park, runway 16, 3,421 × 100 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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 19, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,188.3 total · 163.8 in this make and model · 1,136.5 as pilot in command · 179.1 in the last 90 days · 58.5 in the last 30 days · 3.7 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 8, 2018
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 278 total · 3.2 in this make and model · 278 as pilot in command · 13.3 in the last 90 days · 3.2 in the last 30 days · 0.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 75 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- KPBI, 6 nm away
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 1, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.2 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.