- Date
- January 30, 1998, 16:19 local (Jan 31, 1998, 00:19 UTC)
- Place
- Oxnard, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N2308XRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 15, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980130000809A
- Case key
- 30030
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 improper use of the collective during the initiation of the rollover, which prevented the recovery from the condition.
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 pilot reported that he was doing touch-and-go landings to the dirt taxiway. The helicopter touched down hard and the left skid got stuck in the mud. The pilot then attempted to liftoff, but the helicopter rolled onto its left side and he 'couldn't recover from dynamic rollover.'
Factual narrative
On January 30, 1998, at 1619 hours Pacific standard time, a Robinson R22, N2308X, rolled onto its left side following a hard landing at the Oxnard, California, airport. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and the private pilot and his passenger were not injured. The personal flight departed from the Camarillo, California, airport at an unknown time and no flight plan was filed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
The pilot reported that he was doing touch-and-go landings to the dirt taxiway at the Oxnard airport. He stated that during the accident sequence the helicopter touched down hard and the left skid got stuck in the mud. The pilot then attempted to liftoff, but the helicopter rolled onto its left side and he "couldn't recover from dynamic rollover."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2308X
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1963
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Channel Islands Aviaiton
- Registered owner
- Office Tomcat America
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- CMA · Camarillo, CA
- Airport
- OXR · Oxnard
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
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 132 total · 122 in this make and model · 62 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 19 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OXR
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.