- Date
- August 10, 2018, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place
- Ocean City, NJ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N92TRRobinson R22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 26, 2019
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180810010579A
- Case key
- 98051
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 decision to conduct hover practice at a lower altitude than recommended and his delayed remedial action during recovery from an unstable hover, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Findings · 2
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 in the skid-equipped helicopter reported that, during hover practice, he transferred the flight controls to the student while the helicopter was hovering about 3 ft above ground level (agl). He added that he should have started the hover practice at 5 ft agl, which was the normal procedure. Shortly after, the hover became unstable, and the instructor took the flight controls, but he was not able to regain control of the helicopter. The left skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The instructor in the skid-equipped helicopter reported that during hover practice he transferred the flight controls to the student while the helicopter was hovering about 3-feet AGL, instead of a normal 5-foot AGL hover. After a short time, the hover became unstable and he took the flight controls. However, the instructor was not able to regain control of the helicopter. The left skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N92TR
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2375
- Built
- 1993
- Airframe hours
- 2,058
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 5, 2018
- Departed
- 26N · Ocean City, NJ
- Destination
- 26N · Ocean City, NJ
- Airport
- 26N · Ocean City Municipal
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 62
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 24, 2018
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 3,000 total · 544 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 64
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 7 total · 7 in this make and model · 7 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.90 inHg
- Observed at
- KACY, 11 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 16, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.8 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.