- Date
- March 25, 2013, 10:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Rialto, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N90570Hughes 269C
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-hover: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20130325003729A
- Case key
- 86500
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 helicopter control while maneuvering in a hover.
Findings · 1
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
According to the student pilot, while in a hover before departure, he attempted a 360-degree right pedal turn. About 180 degrees into the turn, the rotation speed started to increase. The pilot thought his reaction to the increased rotation speed was not as decisive as it should have been, and the helicopter departing controlled flight. The pilot stated that he did not press on the left pedal; instead, he released pressure on the right pedal. The helicopter came to rest upright after impacting the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft and boom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the student pilot, he reported that while in a hover prior to departure, he attempted a 360-degree right pedal turn. About 180 degrees into the turn, the rotation speed started to increase. The pilot thought his reaction to the increased rotation speed was not as decisive as it should have been, which resulted in the helicopter departing controlled flight. The pilot stated that he did not press on the left pedal; instead he released pressure on the right pedal. The helicopter came to rest upright after impacting the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail rotor drive shaft and boom. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90570
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1180736
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Western Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Western Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- L67 · Rialto, CA
- Destination
- L67 · Rialto, CA
- Airport
- L67 · Rialto Municipal 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
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,300 total · 20 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 22, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 186 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.