# NTSB LAX00LA172: Robinson R22 Beta, N622EH, San Diego, CA, April 27, 2000 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: April 26, 2000, 17:13 local (Apr 27, 2000, 00:13 UTC) - Place: San Diego, CA - Coordinates: 33.249954, -116.980834 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.2500&lon=-116.9808&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 1 fatal, 1 serious - Status: Completed, report May 18, 2001 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB case key (mKey): 49061 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=LAX00LA172 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/49061/pdf - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA172 ## Probable cause The failure of the flight instructor to maintain control of the helicopter, resulting in skid contact with an obstacle and dynamic roll over. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - In flight collision with terrain/water, maneuvering - terrain condition - rough/uneven - aircraft control - not maintained, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) - dynamic rollover - encountered, pilot in command(cfi) (cause) ## Analysis According to the student pilot, he was a rated commercial pilot working toward his 20 hours of indoctrination into the aircraft. 'We were going to practice emergency procedures in the aircraft and get a little bit more familiar with flying it.' The student was flying the helicopter and decided to fly over an Indian Reservation to look at their motocross track for future photography work in the helicopter. The student told the instructor to take the controls and fly a racetrack pattern over the track and make an aerial application type turn at the end of the track to reverse course. The student would then try and duplicate the maneuver. As they changed controls from one another they would say, 'You got it,' or ' Okay, I got it' to confirm the transition. After the maneuvers were completed over the track, a critiquing took place while the student was flying in a hover. After the critiquing the student reported that he told the instructor to fly us out of here and we will go over to Ramona. According to the student, when the instructor took the controls he said, 'I got it.' About the same time, the student said that the helicopter drifted a little bit and lost a little altitude. The student got back on the controls and the instructor said 'I got it' and he let go. The helicopter again drifted a little bit and the student saw through the lower bubble a rock sticking up out of the brush. The brush was about 5 feet high. The helicopter drifted over, the skid hit the rock, and the helicopter went into a dynamic rollover. The Safety Board examined the wreckage after recovery. There were no airframe or engine pre-accident discrepancies or mechanical malfunctions observed during the examination of the recovered remains. ## Factual narrative On April 26, 2000, at 1713 hours Pacific daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta, N622EH, was destroyed when it collided with rocks while maneuvering over the La Jolla Indian Reservation in San Diego County, California. The instructor pilot and student pilot both received serious injuries; the instructor pilot's injuries were fatal. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight operating under 14 CFR Part 91, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from private property about 1700, and was destined for Ramona Airport, Ramona, California, with maneuvers performed at the La Jolla Indian Reservation racetrack. According to the student pilot, "I was a rated commercial pilot working toward my 20 hours of indoctrination into the aircraft. We were going to practice emergency procedures in the aircraft and get a little bit more familiar with flying it. I was flying the aircraft and we decided first to fly over the La Jolla Indian Reservation and take a look at the racetrack; I was going to be doing some future photography work in the helicopter for the motocross races there." The student told the instructor to take the controls and fly a racetrack pattern over the track and make an aerial application type turn at the end of the track to reverse course. Then the student would try and duplicate the maneuver. As they changed controls from one another they would say, "You got it," or " Okay, I got it" to confirm the transition. After the maneuvers were completed over the track, a critiquing took place while the student was flying in a hover. After the critiquing, the student reported that he told the instructor to fly us out of here and we will go over to Ramona. According to the student, when the instructor took the controls he said, "I got it." About the same time, the student said that the helicopter drifted a little bit and lost a little altitude. The student got back on the controls and the instructor said "I got it" and he let go. The helicopter again drifted a little bit and the student saw through the lower bubble a rock sticking up out of the brush. The brush was about 5 feet high. The helicopter drifted over, the skid hit the rock, and the helicopter went into a dynamic rollover. A postaccident fire consumed major portions of the helicopter. The Safety Board examined the wreckage after recovery with no anomalies discovered. The pilot stated in his report of the accident that there were no mechanical discrepancies. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N622EH](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N622EH-2000-09-21), registration cancelled 2000-09-21, S/N 2613 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Robinson R22 BETA - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (registry code 7640110) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 2613 - Airframe hours: 178 - Engines: Lycoming O-360-A1D 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Destroyed - Fire: On-Ground - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Marcus Phares, doing business as Desert Helicopters - Registered owner: Marcus Phares And Rob Hoag - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 21, 1999, 4 hours before - Departed: NONE, VALLEY CENTER, CA - Destination: L39, RAMONA, CA ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 33; commercial; medical: class 1, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; flight hours: 1,680 total ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 270° at 4 knots - Visibility: 5 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 57 °F - Altimeter: 29.00 inHg - Observed at: SAN, 39 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20000426013129A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000426013129A), Apr 26, 2000: Robsin R22BETA, San Diego, CA, Destroyed, 1 fatal. (-23) While maneuvering in close proximity of a hillside in pauma valley, CA., the aircraft struck the hillside, coming to rest on it's right hand side. The… From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.