Accident Robinson R-22 Beta N7534S,
ASN logo
ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 284999
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.

Date:Wednesday 25 April 2007
Time:14:34 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic R22 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Robinson R-22 Beta
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: N7534S
MSN: 3657
Year of manufacture:2004
Total airframe hrs:1329 hours
Engine model:Lycoming O-360
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Category:Accident
Location:Spring, Texas -   United States of America
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Training
Departure airport:Houston-David Wayne Hooks Airport, TX (DWH/KDWH)
Destination airport:Houston-David Wayne Hooks Airport, TX (DWH/KDWH)
Investigating agency: NTSB
Confidence Rating: Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Narrative:
The helicopter experienced dynamic rollover and came to rest on its left side while attempting to take off. The flight instructor reported in the NTSB Form 6120.1 (Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident/Incident Report) that the instructional flight comprised of practice autorotations and rapid decelerations or quick-stops. The practice area where these maneuvers were performed was reported by the flight instructor as "a grassy, dirt area with occasional dirt mounds raising approximately 1 and 1/2 feet above the ground". The ground was also wet and muddy due to thunderstorms having passed through the area prior to the flight. While executing the third quick-stop maneuver, the student pilot receiving instruction performed a normal takeoff from a 3-foot hover. The helicopter assumed a pronounced nose low attitude while accelerating during takeoff and the toe of the right landing gear skid simultaneously contacted a dirt mound. The student attempted to correct the right yawing condition by over-controlling to the left, while the flight instructor compensated by raising the collective and applying right cyclic. The flight instructor concluded that "by the time the inputs were felt the helicopter had reached its critical angle and rolled [to the] left side." The helicopter sustained structural damage to the main rotor, fuselage, tail boom, and tail rotor. The flight instructor and student pilot were able to exit the helicopter unassisted and neither was injured. At the time of the accident the flight instructor reported having accumulated 116 hours as a flight instructor and the student had accumulated a total of 24 hours in helicopters. The weather at the accident site was reported as calm winds, 10 miles visibility, a broken ceiling at 2,100 feet, and a temperature of 26 degrees Celsius.

Probable Cause: The student pilot's improper use of the flight controls resulting in dynamic rollover. Contributing factors were the delayed remedial action by the flight instructor and the uneven, muddy terrain conditions.

Accident investigation:
cover
  
Investigating agency: NTSB
Report number: DFW07CA096
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 11 months
Download report: Final report

Sources:

NTSB DFW07CA096

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
01-Oct-2022 16:24 ASN Update Bot Added

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org