Robinson R-22 BETA II N7535Z

Summary

On 27 April 2007 at about 15:15 local time, a Robinson R-22 BETA II registered N7535Z, operated by Ocean Helicopters Inc.,, was involved in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, 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

27 April 2007 at 15:15

Classification

Accident

Location

West Palm Beach, Florida, United States

Coordinates

26.8453, -80.5047

Aircraft

Robinson R-22 BETA II

Registration

N7535Z

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Ocean Helicopters Inc.,

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

West Palm Beach → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

MIA07CA079

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's inadvertent shutting off of the mixture control while performing the prelanding checks that resulted loss of engine power and a roll over during the subsequent forced landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that he and his student were on downwind at an altitude of 500 feet, preparing to land the helicopter. He further stated that as they performed prelanding checks, the student pilot within the space of a second removed the guard and pulled the mixture, causing the helicopter's engine to cease operating. The instructor said he immediately entered autorotation, and further stated that the wind was coming from the left, i.e. from the south, and there was no place to turn left due to trees and a road, so he turned right. He said he then saw some trees so he continued to turn right to an open grove, and then started "full down." The student was depressing the right pedal, and the instructor said he continued to maintain rpm as high as possible for the full down, pushed forward, and affected the landing. He said the helicopter landed and continued with its nose to the left due to the right pedal being depressed by the student, and it rolled slightly on its right skid, then collapsed, and came to rest on its belly.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.