Robinson R22 BETA N819TT

Summary

On 24 April 2004 at about 15:50 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N819TT, operated by Hummingbird Helicopters, LLC, was involved in an accident near Shakopee, Minnesota, 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

24 April 2004 at 15:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Shakopee, Minnesota, United States

Coordinates

44.7219, -93.5514

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N819TT

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Hummingbird Helicopters, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Minneapolis → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CHI04CA110

1 person had minor injuries.

The dual student's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during hovering flight and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action in order to prevent a loss of control. Contributing factors were the flight instructor's lack of dual instruction experience and the low altitude hover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter was substantially damaged during an in-flight collision with terrain. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and dual student were practicing normal approaches when the accident occurred. The CFI stated that the third approach was made to an open field and was terminated in a hover about five feet above ground level. The helicopter began yawing to the right and when the dual student did not correct for the rotation, he applied left pedal to stop the yaw. The CFI reported that as he applied the left pedal control input, the dual student stated "You have it," and simultaneously made a "strong" right cyclic input. He stated that as he attempted to recover, the dual student "abruptly" raised the collective without increasing the throttle, causing the rotor speed to decay. The CFI reported that the helicopter climbed and then began to settle toward the ground in a "right drift." He stated: "I was unable to recover the [rotor speed] or align the skids with the ground track before the right skid hit the ground. The skid dug in causing the helicopter to roll over on its right side." The CFI and dual student both reported that there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the helicopter. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector verified control continuity during a post-accident examination. No anomalies consistent with a pre-impact failure were observed. The CFI reported a total flight time of 247 hours, with 63 hours in a Robinson R22 Beta. He reported instructor flight time as 5.6 hours total and 0.4 hours in the R22.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.