On July 30, 2005, a Robinson R22 BETA II (registration N18VH) operated by Silver State Helicopters, Llc was involved in an aviation accident near New Braunfels, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter and delayed remedial action by the flight instructor. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A flight instructor and student pilot experienced a helicopter rollover after the aircraft descended and caught its left skid during a hover check. The incident occurred while the instructor was verifying taxiway clearance.
Incident Details
During a training flight, a 450-hour flight instructor and a student pilot were conducting a hover check. The student pilot positioned the helicopter into a 4-foot hover with the nose into the wind. While the instructor looked behind and to the left to confirm the taxiway was clear, the helicopter descended. The left skid contacted the pavement, and before the instructor could lower the collective or apply right cyclic input, the helicopter rolled onto its left side.
Aftermath
The helicopter sustained damage from the rollover. No further details were provided regarding injuries or the extent of the damage.