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CEN12CA009

2011-10-04 · Hibbing, Minnesota, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport HIB

Current FAA registration · N4170M

Make / Model
ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
Year of manufacture
2008 · 3 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING O-360-J2A (145 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20080506
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A4F085

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The private pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the landing flare.

Factual narrative

The student held a private pilot certificate with a helicopter rating and was receiving instruction toward a commercial helicopter pilot certificate when the accident occurred. According to the instructor, the student pulled aft cyclic too early while beginning a landing flare following a practice autorotation. This resulted in an increase in main rotor rpm and a decrease in airspeed. The instructor then adjusted the throttle in an attempt to decrease the rpm. The instructor stated the student then applied excessive left pedal, which resulted in the helicopter making a 180 degree turn while the helicopter was six feet above the ground. The instructor stated he then decreased the collective and put the helicopter on the ground before the situation worsened. The helicopter contacted the ground as it skidded backwards resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom. The student held a private pilot certificate with a helicopter rating and was receiving instruction toward a commercial helicopter pilot certificate when the accident occurred. According to the instructor, the student pulled aft cyclic too early while beginning a landing flare following a practice autorotation. This resulted in an increase in main rotor rpm and a decrease in airspeed. The instructor then adjusted the throttle in an attempt to decrease the rpm. The instructor stated that the student then applied excessive left pedal, which resulted in the helicopter making a 180-degree turn while the helicopter was six feet above the ground. The instructor stated that he then decreased the collective and put the helicopter on the ground before the situation worsened. The helicopter contacted the ground as it skidded backward, resulting in substantial damage to the tail boom. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student pilot - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2011_CEN12CA009.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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