- Date
- May 25, 2007, 13:41 local (17:41 UTC)
- Place
- Nashua, NH
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N302CHRobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 25, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20070525019479A
- Case key
- 65866
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 entry into a vortex ring state (settling with power). Factors to 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
According to the flight instructor, the student pilot and flight instructor were repositioning a Robinson R22 Beta to practice "quick stops." The student pilot was air taxiing the helicopter downwind at 30 feet agl, when she began to slow the helicopter. The flight instructor then took over the flight controls and attempted to do "a left pedal turn" so he could point the helicopter into the wind for landing; however the helicopter did not respond and started to descend. The flight instructor then lowered the collective "slightly" and increased engine power "slightly" to stop the descent without result. He again tried to raise the collective "slightly," but the helicopter continued to descend. As the helicopter was "getting pretty low," the flight instructor turned the helicopter to point the skids in the direction of travel. The front of the skids then made contact with the ground, dug in, and the helicopter nosed over. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter were reported by the flight instructor.
Factual narrative
According to the flight instructor, the student pilot and flight instructor were repositioning a Robinson R22 Beta to practice "quick stops." The student pilot was air taxiing the helicopter downwind at 30 feet agl, when she began to slow the helicopter. The flight instructor then took over the flight controls and attempted to do "a left pedal turn" so he could point the helicopter into the wind for landing; however the helicopter did not respond and started to descend. The flight instructor then lowered the collective "slightly" and increased engine power "slightly" to stop the descent without result. He again tried to raise the collective "slightly," but the helicopter continued to descend. As the helicopter was "getting pretty low," the flight instructor turned the helicopter to point the skids in the direction of travel. The front of the skids then made contact with the ground, dug in, and the helicopter nosed over. No preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter were reported by the flight instructor.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N302CH
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3996
- Airframe hours
- 1,060.9
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-J2A, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- C-R Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Stadium Graphics
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 1, 2007 · 72.6 hours before
- Departed
- ASH · Nashua, NH
- Destination
- ASH
- Airport
- ASH · Boire Field
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 1, 2007
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 362 total · 362 in this make and model · 65 in the last 90 days · 35 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 19
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 105 total · 105 in this make and model · 60 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- ASH
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.