N2620C – ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA – 2009-02-01 NTSB Accident Report

On February 01, 2009, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (N2620C) was involved in an incident near Lexington, KY. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during takeoff. Contributing to this accident was the interference of the flight controls by the heavy coat and boots the pilot was wearing.

The pilot of the Robinson R-22 stated that he was preparing for takeoff in the center of a non-movement area. Upon advancing the throttle to 100%, the helicopter began to spin rapidly to the left while still on the ground. The pilot attempted to completely lower the collective lever while reducing throttle to stop the rotation, but felt no noticeable effect. He then pulled the mixture control knob to stop the engine, coming to rest at the edge of a non-movement area. As the helicopter spun, it drifted until the tailboom contacted a snow bank incurring substantial damage. The pilot stated that he was wearing a heavy coat and boots at the time of the accident, which may have interfered with his ability to operate the collective and anti-torque pedal controls.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA156. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N2620C.