N8332TRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA · 1996

On August 8, 2011, approximately 1400 Pacific daylight time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, N8332T, sustained substantial damage during a hard landing following a loss of control while hovering near Deer Park, Washington. The flight instructor and his student were not injured. Inland Helicopters, Inc., Spokane, Washington, was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the instructional flight, which had originated about 20 minutes before the accident. A flight plan had not been filed.

The flight instructor reported that this was the second training flight for the student. The student was practicing hovering and allowed the helicopter to drift right. The student also began to lower the collective. The flight instructor announced repeatedly that he was taking the flight controls, but the student did not relinquish the controls. Control of the helicopter was momentarily lost, and it landed hard. The skids were spread, the firewall and fuselage were wrinkled, and the fuel tank's mounting straps were compromised.

The student said that while hovering the helicopter began turning to the right so he tried to correct with left pedal. The student stated that he "overdid it with the pedal" and they spun to the left. He reported that they did "several 360's banking down and the left skid hit the ground," after which the instructor regained control and landed the helicopter hard in a grass field.