Robinson R22
Flight Crew Sea; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Glider; Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 952; Flight Crew Type 30
Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Inflight Event / Encounter Loss Of Aircraft Control
Flight Crew Regained Aircraft Control
Human Factors
I set out on a solo cross-county flight as part of my helicopter private pilot training. The aircraft was a Robinson R-22 Beta II. All of my recent flight training had been in this aircraft. My primary flight instructor reviewed my flight planning and endorsed my log book for the flight. The aircraft tanks had been filled (29 gallons).I departed at about XA:45; 45 minutes late and 15 minutes past the departure time on the VFR Flight Plan. Once given clearance for frequency change by Tower; I contacted FSS and opened my flight plan. The flight initially followed Hwy 101 and then crossed inland in a roughly straight line to Santa Barbara Airport. (On the advice of my instructor I had chosen not to follow my plotted route via VORTACs because of mountainous terrain.) Within 25 miles of Santa Barbara I contacted Approach control and was given a squawk. Within 6 miles of the airport I was handed off to tower who gave me clearance to land on the FBO helicopter pads. The approach and landing was normal but for adjusting the flight path to avoid a tall crane on the highway meridian. After setting down; I adjusted the radio frequencies and GPS NAV unit for the next leg to Camarillo Airport; as well as sending a quick text message to my wife. Departure was along the same route and I was passed to departure control. About 10mi from the SBA I was granted frequency change. I followed the coast and Hwy 101 until passing inland to arrive north of Ventura and Oxnard Airport. I began listening to Camarillo ATIS but it was spotty 20 miles out and low over the foothills.I passed over Lake Casitas and Hwy 33; moving over the last of the low hills before the flat Oxnard and Camarillo area; about 15 nm from the Camarillo airport. I was flying at approximately 800 feet AGL (1;300 feet MSL); airspeed was approximately 80-85 KIAS; Manifold Air Pressure (MAP) approximately 19-20 inches; the collective had the friction lock engaged and the cyclic trim knob was up. Time was approximately XC:15 PM. I began preparing for my arrival in Camarillo by pulling the airport diagram from the stack of papers on the left seat. With my left hand I tried to insert this under the clip of the knee board I had on my left thigh. I dropped the diagram under my right leg and could not reach it with my left hand. So; after some consideration; I grasped the collective crossbar with my left hand about half way between the column and the grip so that I could reach down with my left hand. I had never held the cyclic in this manner but; given that I was in cruise flight and felt I could hold the control with suitable firmness; I made the attempt. I had seen instructors make adjustments to my inputs in this manner. The mechanical advantage and fine control proved lacking. In reaching down I made a nose-down input that made me jerk up and reach for the grip again with my right hand. In releasing the cross bar with my left and reaching for the grip with my right the control suddenly jerked forward and to the left out of my tenuous grasp. The helicopter snapped over to about 110 degrees left roll and the nose dropped approximately 70 degrees below the horizon. I quickly grabbed the cyclic and centered the column before rolling upright at a moderate rate and then pulling up gently. I had also grabbed the collective lever. My airplane aerobatic experience allowed me to remain reasonably calm (apart from a loud expletive) and avoid over-controlling the machine. I had recently reviewed the flight manual verbiage about abrupt maneuvers; especially unloaded pushovers with the potential for mast bumping; followed by abrupt pulls with the risk of boom strike. I was surprised that neither of these events had apparently occurred as the helicopter remained together and I had heard no load bang or felt anything like a strike. In scanning the instruments I found the collective had dropped to 15' and I was crabbing a few degrees to the right; both which I corrected. All else appeared normal. I was too busy looking out at the aircraft attitude to notice the RPM. There was no unusual vibration or noise so I continued the flight. I noted that papers in the left seat; weighed down by my cell phone; had not been disturbed; suggesting I had remained in positive G. I did not feel any unusual unload.I had difficulty finding Camarillo Airport at the low altitude I am used to flying in a helicopter. I was in contact with the tower and they advised me about traffic which I identified above me. Communications were difficult on both radios owning to intervening terrain and they lost my transponder signal a few times as well. Finally; with good comms and transponder signal; the tower vectored me to the field. I followed tower instructions to the helicopter pads (the airport diagram remaining on the floor.) I set down and again prepared the com nav systems for the next leg in addition to sending a text to my wife. Two men in a golf cart waited about 50 feet to my right side to pass and I waved to them and they returned the greeting. They twice made a hand signal I could not interpret but they may have been indicating that the rotor was drooping a surprising amount at the 55 RPM setting. They were smiling and not overly insistent so I dismissed this. Eventually they drove past my nose as they realized I was not immediately going to move. Again; the helicopter's vibration was normal and there were no unusual noises. (I did not remove my headset to listen but had never done this before so would have been unfamiliar with the sound.)I departed Camarillo following tower instructions until given permission for a frequency change. I followed the 101 into the San Fernando Valley. I initially gave erroneous position reports to Tower but eventually sorted this out for arrival. Approach was normal and company instructor; preparing an R-44 for flight with a fuel truck nearby; waved me over to taxi across an unused ramp to the parking spot. This required me to approach and hover over the spot and then make a right pedal turn to set down. Shutdown was normal without unusual noises (headset still in place).  The flight was complete at XD:00 PM (30 minutes late) for a total flight time of 2.3 hours. It was only after I stepped out of the machine that I noticed a pronounced blade droop. My wife who greeted me after shutdown; said that she heard the blades brushing against the tail boom. Examining the boom I saw only three faint witness marks on the right side below the blade tip path; but these may have been unrelated. No other damage was evident. Subsequent examination found that the teetering droop stops had been broken and that I had come very close to catastrophic mast bumping. I forgot to close my flight plan in the flurry of post-flight activity. I phoned the NTSB Los Angeles office at XE:00 PM to make a verbal report of the accident.The last flight before the mishap had been in a fixed wing airplane the previous day. The last helicopter flight had been in the mishap aircraft four days earlier. The only prior solo flight had been three approaches 3 weeks earlier. Total rotorcraft time to the date of the mishap was 30.1 hours that included 1 hour dual cross country and 1 hour dual night. My total time is roughly 950 hours over 33 years of flying.
Pilot of R-22 momentarily lost control while attempting to retrieve an airport diagram; resulting in some aircraft damage.