- Date
- April 29, 1995, 08:58 local (15:58 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9067BRobinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 23, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950429009969A
- Case key
- 29082
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 misjudged landing flare. A factor in the accident was the illusion of a lower than actual altitude created by the high vegetation which led the pilot to flare early.
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 fixed wing airline transport pilot was practicing autorotations in preparation of his rotorcraft - helicopter rating flight test. On the last autorotation, the pilot overshot the helipad and flared the helicopter over high vegetation. The high vegetation gave the pilot the impression that the helicopter was inches above the ground and the pilot elected to execute a run-on landing. The helicopter dropped 3 feet and the left skid became entangled in the high vegetation and the helicopter rolled over. The pilot reported that the helicopter did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.
Factual narrative
On April 29, 1995, at 0858 hours Pacific daylight time, a Robinson R-22 helicopter, N9067B, sustained a hard landing and rolled over on helicopter pad No. 1 at Long Beach Airport, Long Beach, California. The pilot was conducting a local solo visual flight rules instructional flight. The helicopter, registered to and operated by the pilot, sustained substantial damage. The certificated airline transport pilot (fixed wing) was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The flight originated at Long Beach Airport at 0800 hours.
The pilot told National Transportation Safety Board investigators in a telephone interview conducted on May 1, 1995, that he was practicing autorotations in preparation for his forthcoming helicopter rating flight test. He said that he initially performed autorotations that terminated with a power recovery. He then began to practice autorotations from a hover to a landing.
He said that he planned a run-on landing autorotation, but the helicopter landed hard and bounced. During the recovery, the helicopter rotated to the left and the skids became entangled in the high vegetation (tall grass) which caused the helicopter to roll over.
The pilot also said that the helicopter did not experience any preimpact malfunctions or failures.
The pilot essentially repeated his statement in the aircraft accident report. He added, however, that on the fourth or fifth autorotation he undershot the helipad and flared the helicopter over the tall grass. He said the tall grass gave him the impression that the helicopter was inches above the ground, but the helicopter was about 3-feet above the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9067B
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0158
- Airframe hours
- 790
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Courtney Bennett
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 14, 1994
- Departed
- LGB
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach
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
- 72
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight engineer, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 25,000 total · 20 in this make and model · 20 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 55 °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.
Other investigations on N9067B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.