- Date
- March 23, 1994, 13:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Simi Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4081PRobinson R-22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 14, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940323006559A
- Case key
- 28703
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 hovering autorotation by allowing the helicopter to drift laterally and rearward, resulting in the helicopter rolling over during touchdown, 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
A flight instructor and student pilot were practicing hovering autorotations in an open field. The student pilot allowed the helicopter to drift laterally during the autorotation. The helicopter's skid tube caught on the ground as the student pilot increased the collective. The helicopter rolled over. The instructor pilot indicated he did not have time to correct the student pilot.
Factual narrative
On March 23, 1994, at 1300 hours Pacific standard time, a Robinson R-22B helicopter, N4081P, landed hard and rolled over during a practice hovering autorotation near Simi Valley, California. The helicopter was being operated by Orbic Helicopters, Inc., Van Nuys, California, as a local instructional flight. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. Neither the commercial pilot/certified flight instructor (CFI), nor the noncertificated student pilot was injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys, California, at 1230 hours.
The CFI stated the student pilot was practicing a hovering autorotation over a level dirt area. The student pilot entered the maneuver between two and three feet above the ground. The student pilot allowed the helicopter to drift left and rearward as the helicopter settled. The heal of the left skid tube caught in the dirt. The student pilot increased the collective control and the helicopter rolled left onto its side.
The CFI also stated he did not have time to apply corrective actions before the helicopter rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4081P
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1786
- Airframe hours
- 1,297
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Orbic Helicopter, Inc
- Registered owner
- Briles Wing And Rotor
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 22, 1994 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, 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
- 35
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,400 total · 1,500 in this make and model · 75 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °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 N4081P · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.