ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 215427
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| Date: | Sunday 10 April 2011 |
| Time: | 22:30 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Performance Helicopters, LLC. |
| Registration: | N372LE |
| MSN: | 3272 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2001 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Lake Charles Regional Airport, Lake Charles, Louisiana -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Lake Charles Regional Airport, Lake Charles, Louisiana (LCH/LKCH) |
| Lake Charles Regional Airport, Lake Charles, Louisiana (KCH/LKCH) | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Destroyed in hard landing (per FAA), but “There was only moderate damage to the aircraft and no damage to the runway or any impact on our commercial operations" according to airport director Heath Allen. According to the official NTSB report into the accident:
"On March 9, 2011, about 22:30 CDT (Central Daylight Time), a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, N372LE, was substantially damaged when it impacted the runway at Lake Charles Regional Airport (LCH), Lake Charles, Louisiana. The helicopter was registered to Bend Helicopter Partners, LLC., and operated by Performance Helicopters, LLC. Dark night marginal visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 solo training flight. The pilot sustained minor injuries. The local flight had originated about 2130.
According to the pilot, he had been in a stabilized hover on the approach end of the runway for about 15 to 20 seconds. He was preparing to move the cyclic forward to start the helicopter into forward flight when the nose began a slight uncommanded turn to the right. The pilot added more left pedal, but the helicopter quickly picked up momentum and speed until the helicopter was spinning out of control.
The pilot then lowered the collective pitch lever and the helicopter struck the runway surface. The tail rotor hub and both tail rotor blades separated and the main rotor blades and tail boom showed impact damage. The helicopter came to rest upright and there were numerous 360 degree swirl marks on the runway surface. No preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures were found that would have precluded normal operation.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows: The pilot's loss of control of the helicopter while in a hover.
Sources:
NTSB
2. FAA Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N372LE
3. http://helihub.com/2011/04/10/10-apr-11-n372le-robinson-r22-lake-charles-us-louisiana/
4. http://helicoptersafety.blogspot.com/2011/04/10-apr-11-n372le-robinson-r22-lake.html
5. http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpnewssum/?p=17836
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 9 April 2011 | N372LE | Performance Helicopters LLC | 0 | Lake Charles, Louisiana | |
sub |
| Loss of control | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Sep-2018 15:37 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
| 16-Sep-2018 15:37 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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