- Date
- May 28, 2006, 13:05 local (17:05 UTC)
- Place
- Sanford, ME
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N720RJRobinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 3, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20060528016509A
- Case key
- 63770
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 inadvertent encounter with settling-with-power, which resulted in a hard landing, and subsequent roll-over. A factor in the accident was the tailwind.
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 flight instructor was demonstrating air-taxi maneuvers to the student pilot in a Robinson R-22 helicopter. The instructor slowed the helicopter to about 10 knots ground speed in a descending turn, and oriented the helicopter such that it experienced a tailwind. As the helicopter "settled", the pilot attempted to arrest the descent, but could not, and leveled the helicopter prior to a hard landing. The landing gear subsequently collapsed, the helicopter rolled over, and the main rotor blades contacted the ground. The instructor reported that there were no deficiencies with the performance or handling characteristics of the helicopter.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor was demonstrating air-taxi maneuvers to the student pilot in a Robinson R-22 helicopter. The instructor slowed the helicopter to about 10 knots ground speed in a descending turn, and oriented the helicopter such that it experienced a tailwind. As the helicopter "settled", the pilot attempted to arrest the descent, but could not, and leveled the helicopter prior to a hard landing. The landing gear subsequently collapsed, the helicopter rolled over, and the main rotor blades contacted the ground. The instructor reported that there were no deficiencies with the performance or handling characteristics of the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N720RJ
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2748042
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- MTM Helicopters, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SFM · Sanford, ME
- Destination
- Sanford, ME
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
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 48
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 1,800 total · 1,400 in this make and model · 125 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.14 inHg
- Observed at
- KSFM
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.