Robinson R22 BETA N185MH

Summary

On 27 June 2003 at about 21:30 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N185MH was involved in an accident near Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. One person was 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

27 June 2003 at 21:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Nashua, New Hampshire, United States

Coordinates

42.7817, -71.5147

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N185MH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Nashua Boire Fi → Nashua Boire

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

IAD03CA061

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to determine the wind direction, which resulted in a hard, tailwind landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

While the student pilot was practicing departures and approaches-to-a-hover, he had to apply more right torque pedal during departure than usual. While completing another normal approach, when the helicopter was about 10 feet agl, the pilot increased the collective to enter into a hover. When he increased the collective, the helicopter descended rapidly to the ground and landed on the rear skids. Then the nose dropped, and the helicopter slid forward. The pilot stated that in retrospect, he recalled needing a "great deal" of right peddle to maintain heading, "perhaps nearly full travel." He did not realize until later that he had landed with a tailwind, and subsequently remembered looking directly into the mouth of the windsock.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.