Pilot Debrief

ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R66 near Fort Worth, TX — 2026-05-27

Final reportCEN26LA203
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Date
2026-05-27
Location
Fort Worth, TX, USA
Airport
AFW
Aircraft
ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R66
Registration
N5488H
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action and the student pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control during hover.

NTSB narrative

The flight instructor stated that his student was practicing hovering in the helicopter. While hovering, the helicopter began to “slide down and to the left”. As the flight instructor gave verbal instructions to the student, the helicopter yawed to the right as the collective was pulled and moved to the left toward the ground. He said he remembered the left skid contacted the ground as he attempted to recover. The flight instructor believed that the skid caught on a crack in the pavement which resulted in the helicopter rolling to its left side. The student pilot reported that while hovering the helicopter started to “veer to the right” and the instructor said, “my controls”. Just at that moment the helicopter rolled onto its side. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. In response to the accident, the operator instituted an internal review of hovering instruction methodologies, instructor intervention strategies, and low-hover risk mitigation procedures associated with primary and transition helicopter training. The organization implemented enhanced standardization measures focused on instructor recognition of early rollover precursors, intervention timing, verbal cuing techniques, and defined control transfer protocols during hover operations. Additional emphasis on dynamic rollover awareness, critical rollover angle recognition, and instructor decision-making during low altitude training events were also implemented.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 4 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents4

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