20 May 2011: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA — SUN AERO HELICOPTERS INC

20 May 2011: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA — SUN AERO HELICOPTERS INC

No fatalities • Lansing, IL, United States

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while hovering.

— NTSB Determination

Accident narrative

The student pilot reported that it was his first solo helicopter flight. He performed two takeoffs and landings with his instructor on board, and then the instructor pilot got out of the helicopter. The student pilot took off, flew a normal traffic pattern, and made a successful full stop landing. He taxied off the runway and set the helicopter back down on the taxiway. He lifted off the ground again into a hover and started to taxi to the ramp where the instructor pilot was located. The instructor pilot reported that he observed the student pilot lose control of the helicopter as he was doing a pedal turn to the left. The helicopter did a “massive yaw, pitch, and roll.” It hit the ground on its aft skids, bending the aft skid tube. It bounced up, rolled left in a nose high attitude, and the tail rotor struck the ground. The operator reported that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the helicopter.

Contributing factors

  • cause Performance/control parameters — Not attained/maintained
  • cause Student pilot

Conditions

Weather
VMC, wind 060/06kt, vis 10sm

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