Robinson R22 BETA N7535Z

Summary

On 30 April 2024 at about 00:15 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N7535Z was involved in an accident near Louisburg, North Carolina, 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

30 April 2024 at 00:15

Classification

Accident

Location

Louisburg, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Triangle North Executive (LHZ)

Coordinates

36.0000, -78.0000

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N7535Z

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Louisburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Dusk

NTSB number

ERA24LA203

Nobody was injured.

The pilot under instruction’s inadvertent use of the mixture control, which resulted in a total loss of engine power.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and the student pilot of the helicopter were practicing takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. During the downwind leg of the second pattern, while the flight instructor was performing pre-landing checks, the student pilot asked the flight instructor if he could activate the carburetor heat, to which the instructor replied in the affirmative. Immediately after, the engine lost power completely and the low rotor rpm warning system activated. The flight instructor and student pilot then realized that the student had inadvertently manipulated the mixture control. The flight instructor took then control of the helicopter, entered an autorotation, and aimed for an open field. During the landing, the main rotor blade struck the tailboom, severing it from the helicopter. While securing the helicopter, the instructor confirmed that the mixture control was pulled out, with the plastic guard around its base. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.