N40CP – Robinson R-22B – 2005-12-03 NTSB Accident Report

On December 03, 2005, a Robinson R-22B (N40CP) was involved in an incident near Rochester, NH. All 2 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The flight instructor's failure to maintain adequate clearance while providing hovering instruction, which resulted in tail rotor ground contact. A factor in this accident was the gusty wind conditions.

The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and student pilot were practicing hovering over a grass area. The CFI reported that the student pilot was flying the helicopter, while he "shadowed" the controls and performed corrective inputs. While hovering, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over onto it's right side. Examination of the helicopter did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. Winds reported at the airport, about the time of the accident were variable from 230 to 300 degrees, with the predominate wind from 280 degrees at 7 knots, gusting to 20 knots.

This incident is documented in NTSB report NYC06CA041. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N40CP.