- Date
- March 4, 1994, 09:32 local (17:32 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2327CRobinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940304003709A
- Case key
- 28686
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 improper use of the collective and tail rotor controls, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision 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
The instructor said the 5-hour student was practicing hovering operations. During the accident sequence the student intended to land and, as the skids approached the tops of the 10-inch tall grass, the student believed the helicopter was on the ground. He then rapidly lowered the collective and relaxed left pedal pressure. The instructor stated that he tried to intervene on the controls; however, the helicopter touched down right skid first with some lateral motion and the helicopter rolled over.
Factual narrative
On March 4, 1994, at 0932 Pacific standard time, a Robinson R22B helicopter, N2327C, rolled over during landing from a hover at the Long Beach, California, airport. The aircraft was owned and operated by Everything Flyable, Inc., of Long Beach, and was engaged in dual primary flight training. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. Neither the certificated commercial pilot flight instructor nor his dual primary student were injured. The flight originated at the Long Beach airport on the day of the mishap at 0830 as a local area dual instructional flight.
In a telephone interview, the instructor said the 5-hour student was practicing hovering operations. During the accident sequence, the student intended to land and, as the skids approached the tops of the 10 inch tall grass, the student believed the helicopter was on the ground. He then rapidly lowered the collective and relaxed left pedal pressure. The instructor stated that he tried to intervene on the controls; however, the helicopter touched down right skid first with some lateral motion and the helicopter rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2327C
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2020
- Airframe hours
- 1,894
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Everything Flyable, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Everything Flyable, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 2, 1994 · 5 hours before
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach Airport
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
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 750 total · 630 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LGB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.