N9077F

On March 10, 2001, about 1700 Eastern Standard Time, a Robinson R-22, N9077F, was substantially damaged while landing at the Long Island Mac Arthur Airport (ISP), Islip, New York. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) sustained minor injuries, and a student pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the instructional flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91.

The CFI and student pilot were practicing auto-rotations from a hover.

According to the CFI, after the student pilot "rolled off" the throttle, he immediately raised the collective, instead of letting the helicopter settle. The helicopter then began to yaw to the left and the wind was 17 to 21 knots, blowing from right to left. The student pilot then made an abrupt input to the cyclic control and the left skid contacted the ground. He also applied "full up collective a little too early." The CFI said that the helicopter's left skid dug into the soft ground, and it began to roll over. He further stated, "When I realized the helicopter was about to pivot over, it was already too late...."

The helicopter rolled onto it's left side, and the main and tail rotor blades contacted the ground.

The CFI reported he had accumulated approximately 900 flight hours in helicopters, of which, about 800 hours were in the R-22.

Winds reported at ISP, about the time of the accident, were from 290 degrees at 11 knots, with 19 knot gusts.