Robinson R22 N7532R accident near Lincoln Park, New Jersey

Probable cause

The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while transitioning from a hover to forward flight, which resulted in a loss of control.

NTSB analysis

The flight instructor was conducting an introductory flight with the student pilot. After an approximate 40-minute flight, with the helicopter in a stable hover about 5 to 10 ft above ground level, the instructor initiated a hover taxi to the parking area. The instructor recalled that he heard the low rotor rpm warning horn sound, and the helicopter simultaneously began a violent yaw to the right while the nose pitched up. The instructor further stated that he immediately attempted to regain control by rolling the throttle to idle to arrest the yaw. Despite his efforts, the tail rotor impacted the ground, and the helicopter began to spin more rapidly, completing numerous 360° rotations. The helicopter came to rest on its right side. Examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunction or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the instructor’s failure to maintain yaw control while transitioning to forward flight.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for WPR19TA131 for the full record.