Accident Details
On December 1, 2015, at approximately 1530 eastern standard time, a Robinson R22 helicopter, registration N8560M, made a forced landing to a field near Venice, Florida. The helicopter was registered to N8560M, LLC, and operated by Helicopter Academy under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the accident site, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from Venice Municipal Airport (VNC) at about 1430.
Pilot and Instructor Accounts
The flight instructor reported that he was preparing the pilot for her commercial rotorcraft-helicopter checkride. After practicing several maneuvers, en route to the airport, he asked the pilot where she would land in the event of an engine failure. He then noticed the manifold pressure dropped below 18 inches of mercury, requiring carburetor heat activation. He did not recall telling the pilot to turn on the carburetor heat and looked back outside while discussing forced landing areas. The instructor stated the pilot then accidentally pulled the mixture control instead of the carburetor heat, shutting off the engine. He immediately took control, entered an autorotation, and landed hard. The windshield popped out, and the helicopter rocked before coming to rest. The pilot exited and ran toward the front. The main rotor blades were still moving and struck the pilot's head. The instructor said he never saw the pilot pull the mixture control in flight but assumed she did because when he went to shut down, the safety gate was on the floor and the mixture control was pulled out.
The pilot stated that while returning to Venice, the instructor asked where she would land in case of engine failure. She said the beach, but the instructor pointed out a more suitable spot. The instructor then called out "3-2-1" and rolled off the throttle to simulate an engine failure. Both were on the controls, and the autorotation looked good until about 250 feet from the landing spot. The helicopter landed hard, but she did not know why. On the ground, she pulled the mixture while the instructor had his hand on the rotor brake. She then exited to retrieve the windshield that had popped off. While standing in front of the helicopter, a main rotor blade struck her left side of the head, fracturing her orbital bone.
Mechanical and Weather Information
Both the instructor and pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies that would have precluded normal operation. Weather reported at VNC at 1535 was wind 310 degrees at 6 knots, clear skies, visibility greater than 10 miles, temperature 79°F, dewpoint 72°F.
Pilot Qualifications
The instructor held a commercial pilot certificate for rotorcraft-helicopter and was a certified flight instructor in rotorcraft-helicopter. He reported 700 total flight hours, with 600 in the R22. His last FAA second-class medical was issued August 11, 2015. The pilot held a private pilot certificate for rotorcraft-helicopter, with 150 total flight hours, all in the R22. Her last FAA second-class medical was issued June 6, 2015.