- Date
- March 11, 1993, 16:43 local (Mar 12, 1993, 00:43 UTC)
- Place
- Folsom, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4072TRobinson R-22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930311004959A
- Case key
- 27944
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 excessive rate of descent during a approach for landing, improper remedial action to arrest the rate of descent, and a failure to maintain proper main rotor RPM. The student pilot's lack of total aeronautical experience was a factor in this accident.
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 practicing takeoff and landings in the local practice area. On the ninth approach, the helicopter developed a high rate of descent and a steep approach angle. The student flared and applied power to arrest the descent. The main rotor RPM decayed and the helicopter landed hard and bounced into the air. The helicopter rolled over on the second touchdown.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4072T
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1747
- Airframe hours
- 1,049
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sunrise Air
- Registered owner
- Marsh Bagg Enterprises Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 17, 1993 · 57 hours before
- Departed
- Rancho Cordova, CA
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 27 total · 27 in this make and model · 27 in the last 90 days · 14 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MHR, 10 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.
Other investigations on N4072T · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.