- Date
- September 12, 2007, 08:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N965SHRobinson R-22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 29, 2007
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20070912020539A
- Case key
- 66655
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 student pilot's loss of directional control while hovering, and the instructor pilot's inadequate remedial action while attempting to take control of the helicopter.
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 the transition from a hover to a landing, the student pilot began to lose directional control of the helicopter. The certified flight instructor then attempted to take control of the helicopter, but he did not ensure that the student had completely removed his feet from the anti-torque pedals. Since the student's right foot was still in contact with the right anti-torque pedal, the aircraft spun to the right approximately two full rotations before impacting the ground and rolling onto its side.
Factual narrative
During the transition from a hover to a landing, the student pilot began to lose directional control of the helicopter. The certified flight instructor then attempted to take control of the helicopter, but he did not ensure that the student had completely removed his feet from the anti-torque pedals. Since the student's right foot was still in contact with the right anti-torque pedal, the aircraft spun to the right approximately two full rotations before impacting the ground and rolling onto its side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N965SH
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3478
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Silver State Helicopters
- Registered owner
- 2 Romeo Whiskey LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- KLGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- KLGB · Long Beach, CA
- Airport
- KLGB · Long Beach 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
- 35
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 305 total · 275 in this make and model · 118 in the last 90 days · 69 in the last 30 days
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 39
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 17 total · 17 in this make and model · 17 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.