- Date
- December 11, 2022, 14:17 local (22:17 UTC)
- Place
- Rancho Cordova, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N255SDEurocopter EC120B
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20221211019439A
- Case key
- 106469
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 pilot receiving instruction’s loss of helicopter control during landing with a crosswind, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action.
Findings · 4
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 the pilot receiving instruction was practicing an offsite landing in an open area. While descending on approach to the site, the airspeed decayed to 35 kts. The flight instructor prompted for an increase in airspeed, the pilot flying acknowledged, applied forward cyclic, right pedal, and continued turning left into the wind. They encountered an uncommanded left yaw and the pilot receiving instruction added right pedal until he reached full deflection. The flight instructor then assumed control of the helicopter and pushed forward on the cyclic as he lowered the collective. The instructor attempted to recover from the uncommanded left yaw; however, but the helicopter spun several times. Unable to gain forward airspeed, the flight instructor began a descent. The helicopter subsequently landed hard substantially damaging the underside of the fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N255SD
- Reported as
- Eurocopter EC120B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1102
- Built
- 2000
- Airframe hours
- 10,783.4
- Engine
- Turbomecca Arrius a2f, 504 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Sacramento County Sheriffs Office
- Registered owner
- Sacramento County Sheriffs Office
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · November 2, 2022 · 85 hours before
- Departed
- MHR · Sacramento, CA
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- KMHR · Mather
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 2, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 218 total · 143 in this make and model · 122 as pilot in command · 76 in the last 90 days · 23 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 48
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 17, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 5,095 total · 4,949 in this make and model · 4,977 as pilot in command · 202 in the last 90 days · 62 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 12 knots
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.6 MB 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.