Robinson R22 N695AP

Summary

On 19 December 2019 at about 21:10 local time, a Robinson R22 registered N695AP, operated by Prestige Air Worldwide, LLC, was involved in an accident near Beeville, Texas, 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

19 December 2019 at 21:10

Classification

Accident

Location

Beeville, Texas, United States

Nearest airport

Beeville Muni (BEA)

Coordinates

28.3675, -97.7964

Aircraft

Robinson R22

Registration

N695AP

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2004

Engines

1

Operator

Prestige Air Worldwide, LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beeville → Beeville

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN20LA037

Nobody was injured.

The solo student pilot's improper cyclic input during takeoff, which resulted in dynamic rollover.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot and flight instructor completed an instructional flight, after which the instructor exited the helicopter to watch the student conduct a solo flight. The instructor explained to the student that the helicopter was going to "pick up" differently without his weight onboard, like the student's initial solo flight the day before, and the student "concurred and understood." The instructor watched the helicopter take off from the dry asphalt; however, the helicopter was "sliding back and right" as it took off. The right rear skid tube contacted the ground, the student did not correct for the ground contact, and the helicopter entered a dynamic rollover sequence. The main rotor blades impacted the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system, fuselage, tailboom, and empennage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the student applied improper cyclic input during the takeoff, which resulted in the right rear skid tube contacting the ground and a subsequent dynamic rollover.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.