- Date
- January 23, 1993, 10:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Palomar Mtn, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2335QRobinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 25, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930123000819A
- Case key
- 27910
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 initial failure to maintain rotor RPM during the go around and the instructor's improper use of the flight controls and failure to adequately supervise the conduct of the flight.
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
According to the statements of both pilots, after a high reconnaissance of a ridgeline the instructor set the helicopter up for a practice pinnacle approach and turned the controls over to the student at about 500 feet above the ridge. Shortly after initiating the approach, the instructor said he noticed evidence of strong surface winds and ordered a go around. Both pilots stated that as the go around was initiated the low rotor RPM warning horn came on. The instructor said he attempted to regain rotor RPM and accelerate the helicopter; however, they were 'hit by a very strong downdraft that forced us down to the surface.' The instructor said he then lowered the nose to attempt to fly away from the ridgeline but the helicopter settled into the brush on the ridge and rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2335Q
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2154
- Airframe hours
- 600
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Civic Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Chin And Pauline Tu
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 28, 1992 · 90 hours before
- Departed
- CRQ · Carlsbad, CA
- Destination
- CRQ
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
- 31
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,800 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 2,600 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 25 knots, gusting 35
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °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 N2335Q · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.