- Date
- August 8, 2011, 14:00 local (21:00 UTC)
- Place
- Deer Park, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8332TRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 26, 2012
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20110808022009A
- Case key
- 81457
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 control of the helicopter and his delay in relinquishing control to the flight instructor, which resulted in the instructor’s delayed remedial actions and subsequent hard landing.
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 flight instructor reported that this was the second training flight for the student. The student was practicing hovering and allowed the helicopter to drift right, and he began to lower the collective. The flight instructor announced repeatedly that he was taking the flight controls, but the student did not relinquish the controls. Control of the helicopter was momentarily lost, and it landed hard. The student said that, while hovering, the helicopter began turning to the right so he tried to correct with the left pedal. The student stated that he "overdid it with the pedal," and the helicopter spun to the left. He reported that the helicopter did "several 360's banking down and the left skid hit the ground," after which the instructor regained control and landed the helicopter hard in a grass field.
Factual narrative
On August 8, 2011, approximately 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, N8332T, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing following a loss of control while hovering near Deer Park, Washington. The flight instructor and his student were not injured. Inland Helicopters, Inc., Spokane, Washington, was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight, which had originated about 20 minutes before the accident. A flight plan had not been filed. The flight instructor reported that this was the second training flight for the student. The student was practicing hovering and allowed the helicopter to drift right. The student also began to lower the collective. The flight instructor announced repeatedly that he was taking the flight controls, but the student did not relinquish the controls. Control of the helicopter was momentarily lost, and it landed hard. The skids were spread, the firewall and fuselage were wrinkled, and the fuel tank's mounting straps were compromised. The student said that while hovering the helicopter began turning to the right so he tried to correct with left pedal. The student stated that he "overdid it with the pedal" and they spun to the left. He reported that they did "several 360's banking down and the left skid hit the ground," after which the instructor regained control and landed the helicopter hard in a grass field.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8332T
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2587
- Airframe hours
- 9,560
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Inland Helicopters, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Carter Richard K DBA
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 27, 2011
- Departed
- SFF · Spokane, WA
- Destination
- DEW · Deer Park, WA
- Airport
- DEW · Deer Park
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
- 33
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Flight instructor
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 14, 2010
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 486 total · 320 in this make and model · 443 as pilot in command · 129 in the last 90 days · 88 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 41
- Injuries
- None
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2 total · 2 in this make and model · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- DEW
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 7, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 814 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.