Robinson R22 N8560A
4 November 2019 · Smoketown, Pennsylvania, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 4 November 2019 at about 16:19 local time, a Robinson R22 registered N8560A, operated by Smoketown Helicopters LLC, was involved in an accident near Smoketown, Pennsylvania, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 16:19
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Smoketown, Pennsylvania, United States
- Nearest airport
- Smoketown (S37)
- Coordinates
- 40.0417, -76.2019
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22
- Registration
- N8560A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1985
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Smoketown Helicopters LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Smoketown → Smoketown
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- GAA20CA060
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The student pilot's improper cyclic input while hovering and the flight instructor's delayed remedial action, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
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 lifted off in the helicopter and ascended to between about 3 and 4 ft above the grassy field north of the runway to show the student pilot how to hover, and while having positive control of the collective and antitorque pedal, he gave the cyclic control to the student. While the instructor was "guarding" the cyclic, the student applied right cyclic. Subsequently, the helicopter descended, and the right skid contacted the ground. The instructor applied left cyclic, but the helicopter dynamically rolled over. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor system and horizontal stabilizer. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 2019 | Robinson R22 | Danbury, Texas, United States | Standard Aviation Svcs | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2019 | Robinson R22 | Garwood, Texas, United States | Alamo Helicopter Tours San Antonio LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2019 | Robinson R22 | Madill, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2019 | Robinson R22 | Water Valley, Texas, United States | Trans-Pecos Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2019 | Robinson R22 | Beeville, Texas, United States | Prestige Air Worldwide, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 7 Apr 2019 | Robinson R22 | Clover, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 2019 | Beechcraft F33 | Hatboro, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 12 Mar 2019 | Beechcraft A100 | Latrobe, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 2019 | Cessna 172 | DuBois, Pennsylvania, United States | Hobart Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 2019 | Luscombe 8 | Brogue, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 May 2019 | Ryan John Steffey SUBSONEX | Latrobe, Pennsylvania, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Aug 2019 | Poberezny ACRO SPORT II | Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |