- Date
- January 11, 1991, 09:53 local (17:53 UTC)
- Place
- Torrance, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N40231Robinson R-22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910111000409A
- Case key
- 27092
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 improper use of the rotorcraft's flight controls. Contributing factors were related to the pilot's lack of experience in the type of low altitude maneuver.
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 pilot was practicing hovering and turning around a point maneuvers in accordance with his solo flight endorsement. While hovering several feet above ground level the nose of the helicopter pitched up and the tail rotor contacted the ground and broke. Thereafter, the pilot lost control of the helicopter and it rolled over. The certificated private pilot had logged 2194 hours of flight time in fixed wing airplanes. He had 26.2 hours of flight time in helicopters. The pilot's total solo PIC flight time in the accident helicopter, which he was learning to fly, was 3.2 hours.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40231
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1476'
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Rolling Hills Aviation, Inc., doing business as 2845 Airport Dr.
- Airport
- TOA · Torrance
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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 2,220 total · 26 in this make and model · 2,057 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Observed at
- TOA, 1 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.