- Date
- March 27, 2002, 12:55 local (17:55 UTC)
- Place
- Mount Vernon, OH
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured; on the ground: 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N961CLRobinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 18, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20020327005999A
- Case key
- 54460
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 failure to maintain directional control while landing.
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
As the pilot was attempting a landing to a ramp area after a solo flight, the helicopter touched down and bounced back into the air. The helicopter touched down a second time, and began to spin to the left. The tailboom struck a ground observer in the head, before the helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its side. The pilot additionally recalled that he had applied full power upon the first touchdown on the pavement, "and fell victim to torque and or tail rotor thrust."
Factual narrative
On March 27, 2002, about 1255 eastern standard time, a Robinson R-22 helicopter, N961CL, was substantially damaged while landing at the Knox County Airport, Mount Vernon, Ohio. The certificated private pilot was not injured; however, a ground observer received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
According to the pilot, he was attempting a landing to a ramp area after a solo flight. A observer was positioned on the ground to observe the landing. When the helicopter touched down it bounced back into the air, and the pilot began to lose directional control. The helicopter touched down a second time, began to spin to the left, and the tailboom struck the ground observer in the head. The helicopter then rolled left, and came to rest on its side.
The pilot additionally recalled that he had applied full power upon the first touchdown on the pavement, "and fell victim to torque and or tail rotor thrust."
The pilot reported about 30 hours of flight experience in helicopters, and was in the process of obtaining his helicopter rating.
The wind reported at a nearby airport, about the time of the accident, were from 260 degrees at 7 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N961CL
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0594
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Jacobs Wendall
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- 7B3 · Baltimore, OH
- Destination
- 4I3 · Mount Vernon, OH
- Airport
- 4I3 · Knox County Airport, runway 2/8, 5,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Last flight review
- August 21, 2000
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 180 total · 27 in this make and model · 11 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.23 inHg
- Observed at
- CMH, 13 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on March 4, 2003, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 301 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.