NTSB CAROL · Event
Event MIA93LA170
Aircraft involved
Probable cause & findings
THE COMMERCIAL RATED STUDENT PILOT'S FAILURE TO INSURE THE INSTRUCTOR HAD TAKEN CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTORS FAILURE TO PROPERLY SUPERVISE THE STUDENT WHICH RESULTED IN THE STUDENT LETTING GO OF THE CONTROLS WHILE IN A HOVER.
Factual narrative
THE COMMERCIAL PILOT RATED STUDENT STATED HE HAD DEMONSTRATED A RAPID DECELERATION MANEUVER FOR THE INSTRUCTOR AND CONCLUDED THE MANEUVER AT 10 TO 15 FEET IN A HOVER. HE MAINTAINED THE HELICOPTER IN A HOVER AND LOOKED TO THE INSTRUCTOR FOR CRITIQUE OF THE MANEUVER. HE FELT A SLIGHT RESISTANCE ON THE FLIGHT CONTROLS AS IF THE INSTRUCTOR HAD TAKEN CONTROL AND THEN HE LET GO OF THE CONTROLS. THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO DESCEND AND BEFORE HE REALIZED THE INSTRUCTOR WAS NOT FLYING THE HELICOPTER IT CONTACTED THE GROUND WITH THE SKIDS AND TAIL ROTOR AND ROLLED TO THE RIGHT. THE HELICOPTER THEN CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THERE WERE NO REPORTED MECHANICAL FAILURES OF THE HELICOPTER OR SYSTEMS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12
Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file
NTSB_1993_MIA93LA170.txt.
Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb.
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