- Date
- October 12, 2010, 12:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Long Beach, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N853DSRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 16, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20101012048699A
- Case key
- 77546
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 failure to maintain an adequate drift control and skid clearance from the ground and the CFI's inadequate supervision while hovering, resulting in dynamic rollover.
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 certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were practicing hovering. The student pilot had 6 hours total flight time, with all of his flight time being accrued in the accident make/model helicopter. During the hover, the right skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The CFI reported that he delayed assuming control of the helicopter and allowed the helicopter to get too low during the maneuver.
Factual narrative
The certified flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were practicing hovering. The student pilot had 6 hours total flight time, with all of his flight time being accrued in the accident make/model helicopter. During the hover, the right skid contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. The CFI reported that he delayed assuming control of the helicopter and allowed the helicopter to get too low during the maneuver.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N853DS
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3501
- Airframe hours
- 6,210
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Temco Sky Networks
- Registered owner
- Rick Shuster Aviation Services Lnc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 10, 2010 · 9 hours before
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Destination
- LGB · Long Beach, CA
- Airport
- LGB · Long Beach
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
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 14, 2009
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,400 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 100 in the last 90 days · 20 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 18
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6 total · 6 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LGB
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 5, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 589 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.