Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA N979SH accident near Milton, Florida

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a low hover over a grass area, which resulted in left skid contact with the ground and a dynamic rollover to the left.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor reported that she and a mechanic, who was not a pilot, completed a local 30-minute premaintenance check flight of the helicopter uneventfully. After returning to the departure airport, the flight instructor asked the mechanic if he would like to try and hover over a grass area near the runway. During the hover, the mechanic over-controlled the cyclic, and the helicopter rolled left. The left skid contacted the ground and the helicopter continued to (dynamically) roll left onto its left side, resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades and tailboom. The flight instructor added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA26LA313 for the full record.