Summary
On January 24, 1994, a Robinson R-22 (N525BW) was involved in an accident near Naples, FL. The accident resulted in 1 minor injury, with 1 person uninjured out of 2 aboard. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S DELAYED REACTION TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CYCLIC AND COLLECTIVE CONTROLS AND HIS FAILURE TO RELEASE THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
On January 24, 1994, about 1220 eastern standard time, N525BW, a Robinson R-22 Beta, operated by London Helicopters Inc. experienced a rollover while hovering on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the instructor reported no injuries. The student pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated about 30 minutes earlier.
The instructor pilot stated that they were practicing hovering autorotations and the student pilot executed the maneuver wrong. The student turned the throttle on instead of off, and then when requested would not release the flight controls. The right rear skid dug in the ground and the helicopter rolled over.
This accident is documented in NTSB report MIA94LA060. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N525BW.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR'S DELAYED REACTION TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE THE STUDENT PILOT'S IMPROPER USE OF CYCLIC AND COLLECTIVE CONTROLS AND HIS FAILURE TO RELEASE THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On January 24, 1994, about 1220 eastern standard time, N525BW, a Robinson R-22 Beta, operated by London Helicopters Inc. experienced a rollover while hovering on a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the instructor reported no injuries. The student pilot received minor injuries. The flight originated about 30 minutes earlier.
The instructor pilot stated that they were practicing hovering autorotations and the student pilot executed the maneuver wrong. The student turned the throttle on instead of off, and then when requested would not release the flight controls. The right rear skid dug in the ground and the helicopter rolled over.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# MIA94LA060