- Date
- July 29, 2002, 20:30 local (Jul 30, 2002, 00:30 UTC)
- Place
- Madison Heights, VA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8347YRobinson R-22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 8, 2003
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20020729037789A
- Case key
- 55338
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 attain the proper touchdown point on the helipad, which resulted in a rollover. A factor in this accident was pilot fatigue.
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 departed from his residence at 0700, and flew to an airport to complete a 100-hour inspection on the helicopter. He departed the airport 1830 for the return flight home and arrived about 2030. The pilot said he was "very tired" and attempted to land on a "very tight helipad" in front of the building where the helicopter was hangared. As the helicopter touched down, it was not far enough on the helipad and began to tilt backward. The pilot attempted to correct the helicopter's position; however, it rolled over and struck the ground. The pilot further stated he did not experience any mechanical problems with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
On July 29, 2002, about 2030 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R-22B, N8347Y, was substantially damaged while landing on a private helipad, in Madison Heights, Virginia. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the flight that departed Hampton Roads Executive Airport (PVG), Portsmouth, Virginia. The personal flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In a written statement, the pilot said he departed from his residence at 0700, and flew to PVG to complete a 100-hour inspection on the helicopter. He departed PVG about 1830 for the return flight home. When he arrived, he was "very tired" and attempted to land on a "very tight helipad" in front of the building where the helicopter was hangared. As the helicopter touched down, it was not far enough on the helipad and began to tilt backward. The pilot attempted to correct the helicopter's position; however, it rolled over and struck the ground.
The pilot further stated he did not experience any mechanical problems with the helicopter. He reported 97 hours of total flight experience, all in the R-22.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8347Y
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2683
- Airframe hours
- 1,072
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 140 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Wingfield Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 29, 2002 · 2 hours before
- Departed
- PVG · Portsmouth, VA
- Destination
- NONE · Madison Heights, VA
- Airport
- NONE · Private
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
- 55
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- October 3, 2001
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 97 total · 97 in this make and model · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LYH, 13 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 30, 2002, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 490 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.