- Date
- March 29, 1989, 14:55 local (19:55 UTC)
- Place
- Farmingdale, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2553XRobinson R-22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 31, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890329004949A
- Case key
- 36391
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
Pilot's failure to control the altitude of the helicopter while demonstrating a quick stop maneuver to a student.
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
During a quick stop demonstration by the instructor pilot, the aircraft skids hit the ground hard. The main rotor blades struck the tail and broke it off. The helicopter then rolled over onto its left side and came to rest. The pilot reported that he 'apparently got too low' during the demonstration.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2553X
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 613
- Airframe hours
- 1,896
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-BC, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Pittman Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 24, 1988
- Departed
- FRG · Farmingdale, NY
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
- 25
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Unknown, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 870 total · 848 in this make and model · 800 as pilot in command · 200 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.