N72QC

On March 23, 2018, a Robinson Helicopter R22 (N72QC) was involved in an incident near Farmingdale, NY. 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 student pilot’s rapid lowering of the collective, which resulted in a hard landing.

The flight instructor reported that, during the landing from a hover, he and the student pilot were both on the controls, with the student manipulating the controls. He added that, when the helicopter was about 8" above the ground, the student lowered the collective rapidly. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard, the student immediately raised the collective to re-establish a hover, and the instructor took the flight controls and landed without further incident.

A post-accident examination revealed the helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom.

The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

This incident is documented in NTSB report GAA18CA229. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N72QC.