- Date
- November 25, 2009, 09:25 local (17:25 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N505LARobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Abnormal runway contact
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 23, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration FSDO
- FAA report
- 20091125022369A
- Case key
- 75096
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 failure to arrest the helicopter's descent and to maintain lateral control during a hovering autorotation practice.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that he had successfully completed the demonstration of several flight maneuvers for the student pilot. He configured the helicopter for a hovering autorotation, closed the throttle, and the helicopter subsequently descended in a left skid low attitude. The left skid of the helicopter struck the ground, and the instructor attempted to apply corrective control inputs. The helicopter then rolled onto its left side, causing substantial damage to the fuselage and the main rotor system. The flight instructor reported that the helicopter and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident. He further stated that the accident could have been prevented if he applied right cyclic, and right yaw pedal control during the descent, and cushioned the landing by raising the collective control.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor reported that he had successfully completed the demonstration of several flight maneuvers for the student pilot. He configured the helicopter for a hovering autorotation, closed the throttle, and the helicopter subsequently descended in a left skid low attitude. The left skid of the helicopter struck the ground, and the instructor attempted to apply corrective control inputs. The helicopter then rolled onto its left side, causing substantial damage to the fuselage and the main rotor system. The flight instructor reported that the helicopter and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident. He further stated that the accident could have been prevented if he applied right cyclic, and right yaw pedal control during the descent, and cushioned the landing by raising the collective control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N505LA
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3397
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach, runway 03, 30 × 30 ft, asphalt
Flight crew · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 18, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 661 total · 501 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 69 in the last 90 days · 36 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 42
- Injuries
- None
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2 total · 2 in this make and model · 0 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.04 inHg
- Observed at
- LGB
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 24, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 673 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.