Robinson R22 BETA N8311A

Summary

On 15 December 1996 at about 00:45 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N8311A, operated by Resort Aviation, was involved in an accident near Lakeport, California, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 December 1996 at 00:45

Classification

Accident

Location

Lakeport, California, United States

Nearest airport

Lampson Field (1O2)

Coordinates

39.0396, -122.9308

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N8311A

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Resort Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX97LA068

1 person had minor injuries.

inadequate supervision by the flight instructor (CFI), and his delayed corrective action to the student pilot's abrupt control inputs, thereby allowing the main rotor blades to strike the ground. Factors relating to the accident were: the CFI's lack of instructing experience and the presence of upsloping terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

According to the flight instructor (CFI), seconds before the crash, both he and his student were handling the flight controls. The CFI indicated that he had been instructing his student how to hover in ground effect when the student abruptly over controlled. The CFI took the controls from his student a 'little bit too late to correct' the student's control inputs. The main rotor blades struck the ground, and the helicopter rolled over. The CFI further reported that the ground adjacent to the crash site sloped slightly upward, and he had misjudged the location of the horizon. The CFI had been a rotorcraft flight instructor for about 2 weeks.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.