Summary
On November 25, 2009, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (N505LA) was involved in an incident near Long Beach, CA. 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 arrest the helicopter's descent and to maintain lateral control during a hovering autorotation practice.
The flight instructor reported that he had successfully completed the demonstration of several flight maneuvers for the student pilot. He configured the helicopter for a hovering autorotation, closed the throttle, and the helicopter subsequently descended in a left skid low attitude. The left skid of the helicopter struck the ground, and the instructor attempted to apply corrective control inputs. The helicopter then rolled onto its left side, causing substantial damage to the fuselage and the main rotor system. The flight instructor reported that the helicopter and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident.
This incident is documented in NTSB report WPR10CA065. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N505LA.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The flight instructor's failure to arrest the helicopter's descent and to maintain lateral control during a hovering autorotation practice.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
The flight instructor reported that he had successfully completed the demonstration of several flight maneuvers for the student pilot. He configured the helicopter for a hovering autorotation, closed the throttle, and the helicopter subsequently descended in a left skid low attitude. The left skid of the helicopter struck the ground, and the instructor attempted to apply corrective control inputs. The helicopter then rolled onto its left side, causing substantial damage to the fuselage and the main rotor system. The flight instructor reported that the helicopter and engine had no mechanical failures or malfunctions prior to the accident. He further stated that the accident could have been prevented if he applied right cyclic, and right yaw pedal control during the descent, and cushioned the landing by raising the collective control.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# WPR10CA065