Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Chandler Municipal Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Chandler, Arizona 85249
Monday, March 30, 2009 14:15 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The purpose of the flight was for the certified flight instructor (CFI) to demonstrate the helicopter to a prospective student who had no prior helicopter flying experience. They had just performed an hour of uneventful flight and decided to practice hover maneuvers over a turf area adjacent to the airport helipad. The CFI briefed the student on the sensitivity of the helicopter controls during a hover and then passed over the controls to the student. The student unsuccessfully attempted to perform a hover and the CFI then regained control. He elected to let the student try to hover again, and as he relinquished control, the helicopter rolled to the left. The CFI attempted to correct the deviation; however, during recovery the low rotor rpm warning horn sounded. He increased the throttle, but the skid made contact with the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the rotor system and gearbox during the accident sequence.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot during a hover demonstration and his subsequent loss of helicopter control that resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/30/2009 |
| Event Day of the Week | Monday |
| Time of Event | 1415 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Chandler |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85249 |
| Event Date Year | 2009 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 331608n |
| Event Location Longitude | 1114840W |
| Event Location Airport | Chandler Municipal |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | CHD |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 1243 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1348 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | IWA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1243 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 20 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 22 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 15 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 22 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| 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 | 2 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 25415 |
| NTSB Notification Source | Western Pacific FAA ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 5 2009 4:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N74815 |
| NTSB Number | WPR09CA173 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| 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 HELICOPTER |
| Aircraft Model | R22 BETA |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 3980 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| 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 | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Feb 13 2009 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 80 |
| Airframe Hours | 3616 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Delta Leasing Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 2401 South Heliport Way |
| Aircraft Owner City | Chandler |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85249-5408 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Delta Leasing Inc. |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 2401 South Heliport Way |
| Operator City | Chandler |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 85249-5408 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| 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 | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | CHD |
| Departure City | Chandler |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1315 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | CHD |
| Destination City | Chandler |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 5 2009 4:35PM |
| User who most recently changed record | coos |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 01 |
| Runway Length | 100 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |