# Incident 19960706016339I: Robsin R22BETA, Littleton, NC, July 6, 1996

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 6, 1996, 18:40 local time
- Place: Littleton, NC
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 36.4343° N, 77.9110° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Littleton, NC, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4343&lon=-77.9110&mi=10
- Aircraft: N23428, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N23428-2006-04-24) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22BETA
- Reported engine: LYC O320B2C
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,000 total, 80 in this make and model, 25 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19960706016339I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

NARRATIVE: PILOT STATED IN PHONE INTERVIEW THAT AFTER REFUELING HELICOPTER WITH A TOTAL OF 30 GALLONS, HE AND HIS PASSENGER DEPARTED A BACKYARD LOCATED IN THE FOX HOLLOW SUBDIVISION. DEPARTURE TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY 1800 TO 1815 EDT. FUEL WAS PURCHASED FROM AN AMOCO AND 93 OCTANE AUTOMOTIVE FUEL WAS USED. SHORTLY AFTER CLEARING SOME HIGH TENSION POWER LINES AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET AGL, THE HELICOPTER ENTERED A SLIGHT R/H TURN, DESCENDING. AT THAT POINT, THE LOW ROTOR RPM LIGHT AND HORN ACTIVATED. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND ATTEMPTED TO ADD POWER. A VIBRATION BEGAN TO OCCUR "LIKE IT LOST A JUG". THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO LOSE ALTITUDE AND ROTOR RPM. PILOT REPORTED THAT THE THROTTLE FELT STIFF. PILOT NOTIFIED PASSENGER THAT "WE'RE GOING DOWN". HELICOPTER LANDED IN THE WATER AND ROLLED ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. BOTH OCCUPANTS HAD SEAT BELTS AND SHOULDER HARNESSES ON. BOTH OCCUPANTS SAFETY EXITED THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HELICOPTER AND SWAM FIFTY TO SIXTY FEET TO SHORE. PILOT REPORTED APPROXIMATELY 20 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING AT TIME OF INCIDENT. UNABLE TO VERIFY THIS DUE TO WATER CONTAMINATION. PILOT WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 235 TO 240 POUNDS. PASSENGE R WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY 190 POUNDS.

## Other reports on N23428 (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 20030603017759A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20030603017759A), Jun 3, 2003: Robsin R22BETA (N23428), Montpelier, VA, Destroyed, 2 fatal. (-23) On June 3, 2003, approximately 11:03 am eastern daylight time, a R-22 beta, N23428, was destroyed during a routine power line patrol for rappahannock…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.