- Date
- April 22, 2004, 16:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8492ARobinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20040422006429A
- Case key
- 59105
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 inadequate compensation for gusty wind conditions and failure to maintain control of the helicopter while hovering.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The helicopter collided with terrain and rolled over while hovering. While practicing pedal turns on the designated helicopter pads at the airport, the helicopter encountered gusty winds. The pilot lost control of the helicopter, and it impacted the ground, coming to rest on its left side. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter prior to the accident. The wind conditions reported by the Long Beach Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) at 1627 were 300 degree at 16 knots.
Factual narrative
On April 22, 2004, about 1640 Pacific daylight time, a Robinson R22B, N8492A, collided with terrain and rolled over while hovering at the Long Beach Airport, California. Pacific Coast Helicopters was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The commercial pilot, who was a certified flight instructor, received minor injuries, and the one passenger was not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. The personal local flight departed from the Long Beach about 1540. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan had not been filed.
In a written statement, the pilot reported that he was practicing pedal turns on the designated helicopter pads at the airport. After several uneventful turns, he maneuvered the helicopter into a hover about 5 feet above ground level (agl), facing in a westerly direction, which was conducive to headwind conditions. He applied pressure to the left pedal, in an effort to complete a left pedal turn. The helicopter rapidly turned to the left, and the pilot felt a strong wind from the right. After turning about 90 degrees, the pilot attempted to stop the left yaw by applying right pedal. The pilot lost control of the helicopter as it continued the left turn another 360 degrees. The helicopter impacted the pad, and came to rest on its left side. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the helicopter prior to the accident.
The wind conditions reported by the Long Beach Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR) at 1627, were 300 degrees at 16 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8492A
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1824
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Pacific Coast Helicopter
- Registered owner
- Yha, LLC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach Airport (Daugherty
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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 47
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 224 total · 216 in this make and model · 9 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N8492A · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.