- Date
- January 27, 2001, 14:15 local (20:15 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, MS
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N128PHRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 30, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Jackson FSDO
- FAA report
- 20010127000359A
- Case key
- 51398
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 failure to relinquish the flight controls while the CFI was demonstrating a takeoff to a hover. This resulted in an in-flight loss of directional control, in-flight collision with terrain, and subsequent roll over.
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 CFI picked the helicopter up to a hover with a student pilot following him through on the flight controls. The helicopter started to drift to the left and the CFI applied right cyclic input, however the student pilot froze on the flight controls. The CFI instructed the student pilot to get off the controls with negative response. The helicopter pitched up and the tailrotor blades collided with the ground. The helicopter continued to roll to the right and rolled over on its right side.
Factual narrative
On January 27, 2001, at about 1415 central standard time, a Robinson R22, N128PH, registered to Vortex Helicopters, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 flight crashed while picking up to a hover in the vicinity of Long Beach, Mississippi. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The commercial pilot flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot reported no injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident.
The CFI stated he was picking the helicopter up to a hover with the student pilot following him through on the flight controls. The helicopter started to drift to the left. He attempted to correct the drift with right cyclic input, however the student pilot froze on the flight controls. He instructed the student pilot to get off the controls with negative results. The helicopter pitched up causing the tailrotor blades to collide with the ground resulting in a rapid yaw to the right. The helicopter continued to roll and rolled over on its right side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N128PH
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2242
- Airframe hours
- 5,624
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Vortex Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 12, 2001 · 60 hours before
- Departed
- 3MS9 · Long Beach, MS
- Airport
- 3MS9 · Vortex Heliport
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- December 27, 2000
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 222 total · 222 in this make and model · 186 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 12 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 37
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Rear
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,300 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- GPT
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.