- Date
- December 3, 2005, 15:00 local (20:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rochester, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N40CPRobinson R-22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 25, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA\FSDO
- FAA report
- 20051203033109A
- Case key
- 62917
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 flight instructor's failure to maintain adequate clearance while providing hovering instruction, which resulted in tail rotor ground contact. A factor in this accident was the gusty wind conditions.
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 certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were practicing hovering over a grass area. The CFI reported that the student pilot was flying the helicopter, while he "shadowed" the controls and performed corrective inputs. While hovering, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over onto it's right side. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident were variable from 230 to 300 degrees, with the predominate wind from 280 degrees at 7 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Factual narrative
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were practicing hovering over a grass area. The CFI reported that the student pilot was flying the helicopter, while he "shadowed" the controls and performed corrective inputs. While hovering, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over onto it's right side. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident were variable from 230 to 300 degrees, with the predominate wind from 280 degrees at 7 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40CP
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0638
- Airframe hours
- 1,960
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-B2C, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- C-R Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Four M Leasing Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 1, 2005
- Departed
- DAW · Rochester, NH
- Destination
- DAW · Rochester, NH
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 1, 2004
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 8,570 total · 288 in this make and model · 7,547 as pilot in command · 56 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 280° at 7 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 34 °F, dew point 5 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- DAW
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.