- Date
- September 14, 2007, 11:53 local (18:53 UTC)
- Place
- Oakland, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N132SHRobinson R22 Beta II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20070914018889A
- Case key
- 66669
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 failure to adequately compensate for the crosswind conditions and to maintain directional control.
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 student pilot was performing a supervised solo traffic pattern after completing three successful patterns with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) on runway 33. The three practice patterns with the CFI had been done to determine wind effects and aptitude of the student on this day. As the student pilot completed his first solo traffic pattern and was coming into a hover he encountered a left crosswind from 250 degrees at 10 knots, and the helicopter yawed left and spun 1 1/4 turns. The helicopter then descended to a hard landing. The student and the instructor said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
On September 14, 2007, about 1153 Pacific daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta II, N132SH, landed hard at Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, Oakland, California. Silver State Helicopters was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The student pilot was not injured; the helicopter sustained substantial damage. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The student pilot was performing a supervised solo traffic pattern after completing three successful patterns with a Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) on runway 33. The three practice patterns with the CFI had been done to determine wind effects and aptitude of the student on this day. As the student pilot completed his first traffic pattern and was coming into a hover he encountered a left crosswind from 250 degrees at 10 knots, and the helicopter yawed left and spun 1 1/4 turns. The helicopter then descended to a hard landing.
The student and the instructor said there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N132SH
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 4121
- Airframe hours
- 814
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Silver State Helicopters, doing business as Silver State Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Silver State Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 1, 2007 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- KOAK · Oakland, CA
- Destination
- KOAK · Oakland, CA
- Airport
- OAK · Metropolitan Oakland Intl, runway 33, 3,372 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 64 total · 64 in this make and model · 22 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- OAK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.