NTSB CAROL · Event
Event ERA22LA140
Registry · N786SH
FAA Aircraft Registry record.
Make / Model
ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22
Year of manufacture
2004 · 18 years old at event
TCDS
H10WE · ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO
Engine
LYCOMING O-360 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20040608
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AAA868
Registrant of record
SPITZER HELICOPTER LLC
Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
The student pilot's unstabilized hover, which resulted in ground contact and a dynamic rollover. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student and his delayed remedial action.
Factual narrative
The flight instructor and his student were performing maneuvers as part of a flight lesson. About 40 minutes into the flight, while attempting a left pedal turn, the helicopter descended just enough to touch the left rear skid, which surprised the student, who then added right lateral cyclic control. The helicopter’s right skid dug in the ground, and the helicopter rolled over on to its right side, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor blades. The helicopter manufacturer’s flight maneuvers guide advised that a 5-foot hover should be used for all taxi and hover operations, and a minimum 5-foot hover was the policy of the flight school. After the accident, the flight school had discussions with all their helicopter instructors to emphasize the need to maintain proper height above the ground, the need to closely guard the controls while instructing, and the need for improved awareness of the capabilities and experience of the students. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12
NTSB Findings
Hierarchical cause / factor breakdown from the FAA bulk avdata database. Each finding tagged C (Cause) or F (Factor).
- — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Altitude-Not attained/maintained
- — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Lateral/bank control-Not attained/maintained
- — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Student/instructed pilot
- — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of equip/system-Student/instructed pilot
- — Personnel issues-Experience/knowledge-Experience/qualifications-Total experience-Student/instructed pilot
- — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Identification/recognition-Student/instructed pilot
- — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Instructor/check pilot
- — Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_2022_ERA22LA140.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
Full investigation docket on
data.ntsb.gov ↗.
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