Silver State insurance question

[fry]

Posted at the JH board:

 

I was just at the Salem Oregon Airport (SLE) where GOOD OL' Silver State runs out of. In the FBO there they had pictures of a Dynamic Roll Over that happened on Sunday. Obviously the R-22 was destroyed. She said nobody was hurt but the interesting thing was that she said there was a student AND an Instructor in the ship at the time. She also said the Student was now on the hook for $50,000 of the ship. Thats all just hear say from the local FBO there just down from SSH.

 

One of the responses:

 

IDENTIFICATION

Regis#: 924SH Make/Model: R22 Description: R-22

Date: 01/21/2007 Time: 1800

 

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: None Mid Air: N Missing: N

Damage: Substantial

 

LOCATION

City: SALEM State: OR Country: US

 

DESCRIPTION

N924SH, A ROBINSON R22 ROTORCRAFT, ON LIFTOFF, ROLLED RIGHT AND CRASHED

ONTO ITS SIDE, SALEM, OR

 

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 0

# Crew: 1 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

# Pass: 0 Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

 

WEATHER: KSLE 211756Z 00000KT 10SM OVC100 03/01 A3048

 

OTHER DATA

Activity: Training Phase: Take-off Operation: OTHER

 

Departed: SALEM, OR Dep Date: Dep. Time:

Destination: SALE, OR Flt Plan: Wx Briefing:

Last Radio Cont:

Last Clearance:

 

FAA FSDO: PORTLAND, OR (NM09) Entry date: 01/22/2007

 

******************************************************

 

Copied from: http://159.54.226.83/apps/pbcs.dll/article.../NEWS/701220324

 

Helicopter lands on side; no one injured

January 22, 2007

A student pilot landed a helicopter on its side at Salem's McNary Field on Sunday, firefighters said.

The 43-year-old pilot from Albany was making his second supervised solo flight.

The rotor of the helicopter reportedly hit the ground as the pilot tried to land, causing the helicopter to flip, said Bill Holmstrom, a Salem Fire Department spokesman.

No injuries were reported. The helicopter received substantial damage.

Firefighters responded to the incident at 10:20 a.m. and found fuel leaking from the small helicopter.

"We used some absorbent material to pick it up," Holmstrom said.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

***********************************************

 

No instructor on board, just the student. It could happen to anyone. As bad as Silverstate is, this one will be "Pilot Error" but it does bring up a good point about knowing what the insurance policies are prior to training. Every school I have ever been to the contract read that if an instructor was on board OR if you have been signed off by an instructor to solo then the schools insurance would cover everything UNLESS you were "Hot Dogging" or flying beyond your endorsements. Anything different should be a red flag!

 

Dwaine

[Tenacious T]

The report says the student was alone in the aircraft.

 

SSH offers solo insurance which if the student chooses to buy leaves them only liable for up to 10% of damage costs.

 

I would be curious if anyone other than fry could confirm his statement that a school's insurance should cover students in solo flight.

[klas]

...

I would be curious if anyone other than fry could confirm his statement that a school's insurance should cover students in solo flight.

 

As a licensed student at my school, I am able to buy into their insurance. It's a small cost, & it covers if we do not fly within parameters outlined in the rental agreement.

[fry]

SSH offers solo insurance which if the student chooses to buy leaves them only liable for up to 10% of damage costs.

 

I would be curious if anyone other than fry could confirm his statement that a school's insurance should cover students in solo flight.

 

Actually, the statement wasn't mine...it was "Dwaine", the poster at JH.

 

But the point is, the student should know what their liability is if they damage the aircraft. Ten percent liability can still add up to many thousands of dollars.

 

I suspect...knowing SSH's way of doing business, although I do not know for sure...that the student can pay for overpriced insurance coverage and still get stuck for a chunk of costs if the aircraft is damaged.

 

Watch your six.