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WPR14CA354

2014-08-24 · Long Beach, California, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport LGB

Current FAA registration · N341SL

Make / Model
ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
Year of manufacture
1993 · 21 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20020128
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A3C2A0

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The student pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during a practice hover. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's delayed remedial reaction.

Factual narrative

The flight instructor reported that during practice hovering, the student pilot lost aircraft control and the helicopter yawed towards the right. The flight instructor did not act in a timely manner to maintain control of the helicopter and prevent the tail rotor from contacting the ground during the recovery. Subsequently, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to its tail boom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The flight instructor reported that during practice hovering, the student pilot lost aircraft control and the helicopter yawed towards the right. The flight instructor did not act in a timely manner to maintain control of the helicopter and prevent the tail rotor from contacting the ground during the recovery. Subsequently, the helicopter sustained substantial damage to its tail boom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. 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/instructed pilot - C
  • F Personnel issues-Action/decision-Action-Delayed action-Instructor/check pilot - F
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Yaw control-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_WPR14CA354.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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