CHI95LA034

Factual narrative

On November 8, 1994, at 1638 eastern standard time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, N317GB, registered to Indianapolis Helicopter, and flown by a private (airplane) pilot, experienced a departure from controlled flight and impacted the terrain on takeoff from adjacent to runway 25 at Mount Comfort Airport, Mc Cordsville, Indiana. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported no injuries. The local solo instructional flight was operating under provisions of 14 CFR Part 91 in visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was on file. The flight was on departure at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that he knew that an airplane was about to depart runway 25 and when it came into his sight high and to his left, he turned his head to confirm its presence. On looking back he realized that he had allowed the helicopter to pitch nose up. In response to this attitude his reaction was "... to pitch over the nose, which induced a low 'g' situation which progressed immediately and very violently into a right snap roll and loss of control." He was able to level the helicopter just prior to a hard touchdown and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. The pilot held a private pilot's certificate with privileges for single engine land airplanes. He reported that he had 307 hours in fixed wing airplanes. He was receiving training in the accident helicopter and was flying a supervised solo flight at the time of the accident. According to the pilot's statement, he had 23 hours total experience in the helicopter and one hour of solo flight at the time of the accident. THE PILOT HELD A PRIVATE CERTIFICATE FOR SINGLE ENGINE LAND AIRPLANES AND WAS PILOTING THE HELICOPTER ON A SUPERVISED SOLO FLIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE REPORTED THAT HE HAD 307 HOURS IN AIRPLANES AND 23 HOURS IN THE HELICOPTER WITH ONE HOUR SOLO, AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. HE STATED THAT ON INITIAL TAKEOFF ADJACENT TO RUNWAY 25, HE WAS AWARE OF AN AIRPLANE DEPARTING ON RUNWAY 25 AND WHEN IT CAME INTO HIS SIGHT, HIGH AND TO HIS LEFT, HE TURNED TO CONFIRM ITS PRESENCE. WHEN HE TURNED BACK, HE FOUND THAT HE HAD ALLOWED THE HELICOPTER TO PITCH NOSE HIGH AND RESPONDED BY MOVING THE CYCLIC CONTROL FORWARD. HE DESCRIBED LOSING CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND HE WAS ABLE TO RECOVER TO A NEAR LEVEL CONDITION AT TOUCHDOWN. THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN HARD AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12