No fatalities

17 Mar 2016: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R22 HP — CALIFORNIA AVIATION SERVICES INC — Riverside, CA

Riverside, CA, United States

On 17 Mar 2016, a ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R22 HP operated by CALIFORNIA AVIATION SERVICES INC was involved in an aviation accident near Riverside, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's incorrect action performance by not applying sufficient pressure to the right anti-torque pedal, resulting in an uncontrollable left yaw, and ground impact. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

During his first solo flight, a student pilot experienced a hard landing and subsequent loss of control, resulting in substantial damage to the helicopter. No mechanical issues were reported.

Accident Summary

A student pilot on his first solo flight reported that he aborted his initial approach and landing because the approach was too steep and too fast. He then executed a second approach to a hover and attempted to land the helicopter on the runway. While maintaining a five-foot hover, he lowered the collective with more force than normal, causing a hard touchdown.

Pilot Report

After the hard landing, the student pilot attempted to re-establish a hover. He quickly increased the collective but did not apply sufficient right anti-torque pedal. This resulted in a rapid right yaw, causing the helicopter to spin several revolutions before impacting the ground.

Damage

The helicopter sustained substantial damage to its frame and tail rotor drive shaft. The student pilot reported no mechanical failures or anomalies before or during the flight that would have prevented normal operation.

Contributing factors

Student/instructed pilotYaw control — Not attained/maintained