- Date
- October 17, 2019, 16:20 local (23:20 UTC)
- Place
- Overton, NV
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4066SRobinson R22
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 21, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20191017020139A
- Case key
- 100452
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 pilot’s failure to maintain a proper approach and the flight instructor's subsequent failure to maintain an adequate climb rate during an attempted go-around in gusting tailwind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and dynamic rollover.
Findings · 6
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 he told the pilot receiving instruction in the helicopter to shoot an approach to a sandbar in a riverbed. The pilot approached to the south, and the wind was between about 20 to 25 knots from the south. About 20 ft above ground level, the instructor took the flight controls due to a steep and fast approach and initiated a go-around. He performed a climbing left turn to the north, and subsequently the helicopter descended, and he was unable to maneuver it into the wind. The helicopter landed hard, bounced, and yawed right. The helicopter contacted the ground again and rolled onto its left side. The main rotor blades struck the ground, and the tailboom separated. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. The 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 in the helicopter reported that he instructed the pilot receiving instruction to shoot an approach to a sandbar in a riverbed. The pilot approached to the south and the wind was about 20 to 25 knots from the south. About 20 ft above the ground, the instructor took the flight controls due to a steep and fast approach and initiated a go-around. He performed a climbing left turn to the north. The helicopter descended and he was unable to maneuver the helicopter into the wind. The helicopter landed hard, bounced, and yawed to the right. The helicopter contacted the ground again and rolled onto the left side. The main rotor blades struck the ground and the tailboom separated. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4066S
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1508
- Built
- 1990
- Airframe hours
- 14,600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- California Aviation Services Inc
- Registered owner
- California Aviation Services Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 14, 2019
- Departed
- IFP · Bullhead City, AZ
- Destination
- U08 · Overton, NV
- 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
- 35
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 6, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,845 total · 1,450 in this make and model · 1,700 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 120 total · 120 in this make and model · 60 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.53 inHg
- Observed at
- KLSV, 35 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 19, 2019, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.7 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.