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19990623024119A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 · Hurricane, WV · June 23, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 23, 1999 · 19:35 local
Place
Hurricane, WV
Airport
Private
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N9070F
NTSB investigation
NTSBNYC99FA157
Reported as
Robsin R22
Reported engine
Lycoming O320B2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,900 total100 in this make and model
N9070FRegistration cancelled May 23, 2017 · Robinson Helicopter R22S/N 0185 · Built 1981Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22Engine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

No preliminary accident narrative available. (.4)a witness observed the helicopter at approximately 200 feet above ground level (AGL) and then descend to approximately 60 feet AGL. The witness stated that the helicopter was making a 'popping noise,' and wobbling back and forth, and side to side for about 30 seconds. The witness also stated that he could see the helicopter's main rotor blades slowing down. The helicopter then 'nose dived' towards the ground. The helicopter impacted in a dry creek bed and came to rest on it's left side. One main rotor bladed was found curved upward and contained blue and white paint transfer. It should be noted that the helicopter tail boom is painted blue and white. A 12,000 volt electrical wire system was located approximately 37 feet above the main wreckage and one of the wires had been severed. The helicopter had been operated for about 1 hour since an annual inspection had been performed 5 days prior to the accident; about 70 hours since December 1994; and about 2,070 hours since it was last overhauled in 1992. The helicopter was fueled with automotive gasoline. A supplemental type certificate (STC) for th e use of automotive gasoline for the accident helicopter was available; however, examination of the helicopter's maintenance records did not reveal that an STC had been obtaianed for the use of automotive gosoline. The engine was test run and it operated satisfactorily. Examination fo the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunactions of the airframe or engine. Review of the FAA 'caruretor icing probability chart' placed the reported temperature and dewpoint in the 'serious icing at glide power' area. Additionally, exmination of the engine low oil pressure light bulb filamnet from the annunciator panel revealed some elongation of the filament. (-23)NTSB id NYC99FA157

As the FAA filed it

NO PRELIMINARY ACCIDENT NARRATIVE AVAILABLE. (.4)A WITNESS OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER AT APPROXIMATELY 200 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AND THEN DESCEND TO APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET AGL. THE WITNESS STATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS MAKING A 'POPPING NOISE,' AND WOBBLING BACK AND FORTH, AND SIDE TO SIDE FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS. THE WITNESS ALSO STATED THAT HE COULD SEE THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES SLOWING DOWN. THE HELICOPTER THEN 'NOSE DIVED' TOWARDS THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED IN A DRY CREEK BED AND CAME TO REST ON IT'S LEFT SIDE. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADED WAS FOUND CURVED UPWARD AND CONTAINED BLUE AND WHITE PAINT TRANSFER. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE HELICOPTER TAIL BOOM IS PAINTED BLUE AND WHITE. A 12,000 VOLT ELECTRICAL WIRE SYSTEM WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 37 FEET ABOVE THE MAIN WRECKAGE AND ONE OF THE WIRES HAD BEEN SEVERED. THE HELICOPTER HAD BEEN OPERATED FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR SINCE AN ANNUAL INSPECTION HAD BEEN PERFORMED 5 DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT; ABOUT 70 HOURS SINCE DECEMBER 1994; AND ABOUT 2,070 HOURS SINCE IT WAS LAST OVERHAULED IN 1992. THE HELICOPTER WAS FUELED WITH AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE. A SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE (STC) FOR TH E USE OF AUTOMOTIVE GASOLINE FOR THE ACCIDENT HELICOPTER WAS AVAILABLE; HOWEVER, EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER'S MAINTENANCE RECORDS DID NOT REVEAL THAT AN STC HAD BEEN OBTAIANED FOR THE USE OF AUTOMOTIVE GOSOLINE. THE ENGINE WAS TEST RUN AND IT OPERATED SATISFACTORILY. EXAMINATION FO THE WRECKAGE DID NOT REVEAL ANY PRE-IMPACT MALFUNACTIONS OF THE AIRFRAME OR ENGINE. REVIEW OF THE FAA 'CARURETOR ICING PROBABILITY CHART' PLACED THE REPORTED TEMPERATURE AND DEWPOINT IN THE 'SERIOUS ICING AT GLIDE POWER' AREA. ADDITIONALLY, EXMINATION OF THE ENGINE LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT BULB FILAMNET FROM THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL REVEALED SOME ELONGATION OF THE FILAMENT. (-23)NTSB ID NYC99FA157

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC99FA157Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportHurricane, WVA loss of engine power for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm and the transmission wires.Jun 23, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N9070F · 1

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

Accident 19870429021689ASfl Autorotation · Willimantic, CTCollided with the ground during a practice autorotated landing. Student allowed rotor decay. CFI failed correction.Apr 29, 1987 · Substantial damage