- Date
- March 25, 2025, 15:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Hobbs, NM · airport runway
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7530URobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Dynamic rollover
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20250325007519A
- Case key
- 199914
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 loss of directional control during a hover, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
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 student pilot was on going on a solo flight after being endorsed and completing a dual instruction flight. As the helicopter lifted into a hover, the instructor saw the student jerk the collective and the helicopter spun to the right. The student attempted to recover with cyclic control inputs, but the helicopter dynamically rolled over and impacted terrain. Subsequently, the fuselage and drivetrain sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7530U
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II (NO SERIES)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10411
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 3,546.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Flap Air Helicopter Service Inc
- Registered owner
- Flap Air Helicopter Service Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 3, 2024 · 99 hours before
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- HOB · Lea County Rgnl
- 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
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 67
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 91.9 total · 34.6 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 86 °F, dew point 14 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KHOB
- METAR
- KHOB 252050Z 19006G14KT 10SM CLR 30/M10 A3007
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 17, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 40.0 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.