# NTSB NYC01LA035: Robinson R-22B, N25862, Babylon, NY, November 13, 2000

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report
- Date: November 13, 2000, 14:45 local (19:45 UTC)
- Place: Babylon, NY
- Coordinates: 40.689796, -73.319656 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.6898&lon=-73.3197&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- Status: Completed, report July 2, 2001
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- NTSB case key (mKey): 50627
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=NYC01LA035
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/50627/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC01LA035

## Probable cause

The student pilot's inadequate use of the collective, and the instructor pilot's inadequate remedial action.

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- Hard landing, landing
  - collective - inadequate, dual student (cause)
  - remedial action - inadequate, pilot in command(cfi) (cause)

## Analysis

The student pilot and a flight instructor had departed on a helicopter flight instruction period.  The student pilot satisfactorily performed two takeoffs and landings.  For the third landing, the instructor completely relinquished the controls to the student.  During the landing, the student did not raise the collective to reduce the rate of descent, and the helicopter landed hard.  The helicopter then rolled over on its left side, and sustained substantial damage to the skids, tailboom, and fuselage.

## Factual narrative

On November 13, 2000, about 1445 Eastern Standard Time, a Robinson R22-B, N25862, was substantially damaged while landing near Babylon, New York.  The certificated flight instructor and student pilot were not injured.  Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.

The instructor stated that he and the student departed Long Island Mac Arthur Airport (ISP), Long Island, New York, about 1345.  They flew to a practice landing area along the south shore of Long Island, and the student performed two takeoffs and landings to an island.  The instructor felt that the student performed very well during the two landings, so the instructor completely relinquished the controls to the student for the third landing.

During the third landing, the instructor thought that the student would raise the collective to reduce the rate of descent.  However, the student never raised the collective, and the helicopter landed hard.  The helicopter then rolled over on its left side, and sustained substantial damage to the skids, tailboom, and fuselage.

Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions, nor did the pilots report any.

## Aircraft

- Registration: N25862 (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: Robinson R-22B
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 0663
- Airframe hours: 5480
- Engines: Lycoming O-320 160 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Registered owner: Eastern Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, October 12, 2000, 73 hours before
- Departed: ISP, ISLIP, NY
- Airport: ISP, Long Island Macarthur

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 33; commercial; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, invalid medical for flight; seat: left; flight hours: 420 total, 420 in this make and model, 315 as pilot in command, 175 in the last 90 days, 60 in the last 30 days, 4 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 170° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: 3,100 ft overcast
- Temperature: 48 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: FRG, 6 nm away

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 20001113039049A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20001113039049A), Nov 13, 2000: Robsin R22BETA, No damage. (-23) At time and place of occurrence, the instructor did not guard collective control during landing. Student pilot lowered collective too fast causing…

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.