- Date
- June 5, 2010, 10:40 local (17:40 UTC)
- Place
- La Verne, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7028URobinson R22
- Defining event
- Approach: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA Los Angeles FSDO
- FAA report
- 20100605036329A
- Case key
- 76218
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
A loss of engine power due to the pilot's inadvertent movement of the mixture control.
Findings · 3
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 pilot stated that during approach he noticed the trim was still on. He reached down to turn it off by feel while he was visually focused outside the helicopter and concentrating on the approach. The pilot reported that the trim knob was stuck in the "up" position and he applied increasing pressure until it moved. He said that while focused on the approach, he "blindly checked the status of the trim knob," and that he "unintentionally and without explanation pulled the mixture control up." The pilot reported that the engine instantly turned off and the low rotor RPM system activated, followed by the pilot entering an autorotation. The engine stopped at a height of approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl) and that the helicopter touched down in the dirt and rolled onto the pilot's side. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that during approach he noticed the trim was still on. He reached down to turn it off by feel while he was visually focused outside the helicopter and concentrating on the approach. The pilot reported that the trim knob was stuck in the "up" position and he applied increasing pressure until it moved. He said that while focused on the approach, he "blindly checked the status of the trim knob," and that he "unintentionally and without explanation pulled the mixture control up." The pilot reported that the engine instantly turned off and the low rotor RPM system activated, followed by the pilot entering an autorotation. The engine stopped at a height of approximately 50 feet above ground level (agl) and that the helicopter touched down in the dirt and rolled onto the pilot's side. The pilot reported no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7028U
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2890
- Airframe hours
- 1,728
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Universal Air Academy, doing business as Flight School
- Registered owner
- Business Financial Services Corp
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 28, 2010
- Departed
- KPOC · La Verne, CA
- Destination
- KPOC · La Verne, CA
- Airport
- KPOC · Brackett Field 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 21, 2009
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 355 total · 76 in this make and model · 251 as pilot in command · 2 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 3 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KPOC
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 16, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 398 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.