Robinson R22 BETA N4079M

Summary

On 15 March 1998 at about 00:40 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N4079M was involved in an accident near San Luis Obispo, California, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 March 1998 at 00:40

Classification

Accident

Location

San Luis Obispo, California, United States

Nearest airport

San Luis Obispo (SBP)

Coordinates

35.2491, -120.6202

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N4079M

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Luis Obispo → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX98LA115

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's inadvertent pulling of the mixture, instead of the carburetor heat, while preparing for the approach, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that he and the dual student were doing traffic pattern operations to a grass area parallel to runway 29. The CFI stated that while they were on the downwind leg of the first pattern about 500 feet agl, the student was on the controls and was preparing for the approach with the prelanding checklist. The student reached down to apply carburetor heat, but instead pulled the mixture to idle. The engine stopped and the instructor then took over the controls and performed an autorotation to the grass field. The helicopter continued forward on the ground after the touchdown and the front portion of the skids became imbedded in the ground and the helicopter then nosed over. The blades hit the ground and the helicopter rolled over and came to rest on its right side.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.