Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Ashburnham, Massachusetts 01430
Friday, August 5, 1988 17:15 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

A STUDENT PILOT AND FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR WERE MAKING A PRACTICE PINNACLE APPROACH. THE STUDENT PILOT TRIED TO TERMINATE THE DESCENT, BUT WAS UNABLE AND A LANDING ON ROUGH TERRAIN TOOK PLACE. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER AND RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE BUT THE TWO OCCUPANTS WERE NOT INJURED. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR FAILED TO REALIZE THE PERFORMANCE PARAMETERS OF THE HELICOPTER WERE BEING EXCEEDED IN TIME TO TERMINATE THE APPROACH.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 8/5/1988
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 1715
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City ASHBURNHAM
Event State MASSACHUSETTS
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 01430
Event Date Year 1988
Event Date Month 8
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Pilot
Time of the weather observation 0
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 0
Weather Observation Facility ID
Elevation of weather observation facility 0
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 0
Time Zone of the weather observation
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 32
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) --
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 225
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 10
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) --
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 2
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2163
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Aug 5 1988 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1920
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 38675
Date of most recent change to record Dec 13 2000 12:04PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N90789
NTSB Number NYC88LA210
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name ROBINSON
Aircraft Model R22
Aircraft Series Identifier R22
Aircraft Serial Number 0293
Certified Max Gross Weight 1300
Aircraft Category Helicopter
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 2
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Jul 29 1988 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 30
Airframe Hours 3711
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name FULLER AVIATION CORP
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 400
Aircraft Owner City STERLING
Aircraft Owner State MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 01564
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name AVIATION TRAINING ACADEMY
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address STERLING AIRPORT
Operator City STERLING
Operator State MA
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 01565
Operator Code
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Instructional
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code 3B3
Departure City STERLING
Departure State MA
Departure Country
Departure Time 1700
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere
Destination Airport Code
Destination City
Destination State
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Descent
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --