Salinas Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Salinas, California 93905
Friday, June 29, 2001 9:00 PDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The helicopter rolled over onto its right side after the student pilot improperly positioned the cyclic control during liffoff to a hover. According to the instructor, the student was lifting the helicopter into a hover when he applied slight right cyclic. The instructor reported he was guarding the controls at the time, and announced verbally he had the controls. As he attempted to lower the collective and center the cyclic, he noticed the student still had his hands on the controls and was continuing with a right cyclic input and increase in collective. The helicopter subsequently rolled onto its right side.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

the student's improper use of the cyclic controls and his failure to relinquish aircraft control, and the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 6/29/2001
Event Day of the Week Friday
Time of Event 900
Event Time Zone Pacific Daylight Time
Event City Salinas
Event State CALIFORNIA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 93905
Event Date Year 2001
Event Date Month 6
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 363946N
Event Location Longitude 1213623W
Event Location Airport Salinas Municipal
Event Location Nearest Airport ID SNS
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 3
Degrees magnetic from airport 360
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 935 Pacific Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 180
Weather Observation Facility ID SNS
Elevation of weather observation facility 84
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 3
Time Zone of the weather observation PDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 1100
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 8
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 15
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 12
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 350
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 4
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30.07
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 15196
NTSB Notification Source FAA
NTSB Notification Date Jun 29 2001 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time --
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record Mar 30 2004 8:14AM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office WP-SJC-FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N2269A
NTSB Number LAX01LA227
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed Company VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Substantial
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Bell
Aircraft Model 206B
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 3608
Certified Max Gross Weight 3200
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 5
Number of Engines 1
Fixed gear or retractable gear Fixed
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Unknown
Date of Last Inspection --
Airframe hours since last inspection --
Airframe Hours --
ELT Installed No
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Verticare
Aircraft Owner Street Address 280 Mortensen Ave.
Aircraft Owner City Salinas
Aircraft Owner State CA
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 93905
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name --
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address --
Operator City --
Operator State --
Operator Country --
Operator Zip code --
Operator Code --
Owner has at least one certificate None
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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 Yes
Departure Airport Code SNS
Departure City Salinas
Departure State CA
Departure Country USA
Departure Time --
Departure Time Zone PDT
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 Hover - in ground effect
Report sent to ICAO? No
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Jan 26 2004 4:22PM
User who most recently changed record COOS
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location NA
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --