- Date
- August 28, 2006, 14:15 local (18:15 UTC)
- Place
- Frederick, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2649DRobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Baltimore FSDO EA-07
- FAA report
- 20060828021859A
- Case key
- 64449
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 delayed remedial action during a hovering autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing and inadvertent dynamic rollover.
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
According to the flight instructor, he and his student, a certificated airplane pilot, were practicing hovering autorotations about 3 feet above the ground. The student pilot reduced engine power to initiate the maneuver, pushed forward on the cyclic, and the helicopter descended. The flight instructor stated that he assumed cyclic control, and then the helicopter impacted the ground "fairly hard and bounced." The student pilot subsequently pulled up on the collective, the left skid remained in contact with the ground, and the helicopter rolled over on its left side. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical or performance deficiencies with the helicopter.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, he and his student, a certificated airplane pilot, were practicing hovering autorotations about 3 feet above the ground. The student pilot reduced engine power to initiate the maneuver, pushed forward on the cyclic, and the helicopter descended. The flight instructor stated that he assumed cyclic control, and then the helicopter impacted the ground "fairly hard and bounced." The student pilot subsequently pulled up on the collective, the left skid remained in contact with the ground, and the helicopter rolled over on its left side. The flight instructor stated that there were no mechanical or performance deficiencies with the helicopter.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2649D
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0835
- Airframe hours
- 544.4
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Advanced Helicopter Concepts INC.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 1, 2006 · 62.6 hours before
- Departed
- KFDK · Frederick, MD
- Destination
- KFDK
- Airport
- KFDK · Frederick Municipal Airport
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
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 1, 2006
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 396 total · 396 in this make and model · 171 in the last 90 days · 77 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Pilot
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 6,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.92 inHg
- Observed at
- KFDK
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.