- Date
- May 26, 1990, 14:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Payson, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N528EERobinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900526017789A
- Case key
- 26631
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
Control interference which the CFI encountered during landing flare. Contributing factors related to the student not understanding communications from the CFI, the unclear language and the operator's inadequate certification of the airman.
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
During a dual flt over high mountainous terrain, the CFI & his student observed the activation of the tail rotor chip warning light. The CFI elected to make a precautionary ldg, & he attempted to convey the need to personally handle the acft. Several times the CFI told his student that he was going to maintain control, but the foreign student's english was insufficient to adequately communicate with the CFI, & the foreign student did not comply with the cfi's verbal instructions. During the approach to the clearing the student became nervous, tense, & tightly held on to the controls. The student subsequently recognized that his action inhibited the CFI from properly handling the acft. When a low rotor RPM condition occurred the CFI was unable to recover. The acft touched down hard & rolled over. Two days before the accident the owner of the flt school, who was a designee, issued the foreign student an unrestricted plt certificate.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N528EE
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 528
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Arizona Wing & Rotor, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 13, 1990
- Departed
- SDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Destination
- Meteor Crater, AZ
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 21
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 470 total · 470 in this make and model · 416 as pilot in command · 300 in the last 90 days · 100 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F
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 N528EE · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.