# Accident 20000426013129A: Robsin R22BETA, San Diego, CA, April 26, 2000 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: April 26, 2000, 17:13 local time - Place: San Diego, CA - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Hovering - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 33.2500° N, 116.9808° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.2500&lon=-116.9808&mi=10 - Aircraft: N622EH, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N622EH-2000-09-21) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22BETA - Reported engine: LYC O360A1D - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 1,680 total - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX00LA172](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA172) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20000426013129A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-23) WHILE MANEUVERING IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF A HILLSIDE IN PAUMA VALLEY, CA., THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE HILLSIDE, COMING TO REST ON IT'S RIGHT HAND SIDE. THE TAIL BOOM AND ROTOR ASSY. SEPERATED FORM THE AIRCRAFT, COMING TO REST APPROX. 30 FEET FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE TWO PILOTS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT, SUSTAINING SERIOUS INJURIES FROM BURNS IN THE POST CRASH FIRE, THE PIC LATER DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. THE AIRCRAFT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY POST CRASH FIRE. WHILE ENROUTE TO THE HOSPITAL, THE SIC TOLD A WITNESS: "IT WAS A MIS-COMMUNICATION, MIS-COMMUNICATION, [THE PIC] TOLD ME HE HAD THE CONTROLS, WHEN I LET GO, HE DIDN'T TAKE THEM." (.4)ON APRIL 26, 2000, AT 1713 HOURS PACIFIC DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R22 BETA, N622EH, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH ROCKS WHILE MANEUVERING OVER THE LA JOLLA INDIAN RESERVATION IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT AND STUDENT PILOT BOTH RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES; THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S INJURIES WERE FATAL. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER 14 CFR PART 91, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM PRIVATE PROPERTY ABOUT 1700, A ND WAS DESTINED FOR RAMONA AIRPORT, RAMONA, CALIFORNIA, WITH MANEUVERS PERFORMED AT THE LA JOLLA INDIAN RESERVATION RACETRACK. ACCORDING TO THE STUDENT PILOT, "I WAS A RATED COMMERCIAL PILOT WORKING TOWARD MY 20 HOURS OF INDOCTRINATION INTO THE AIRCRAFT. WE WERE GOING TO PRACTICE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES IN THE AIRCRAFT AND GET A LITTLE BIT MORE FAMILIAR WITH FLYING IT. I WAS FLYING THE AIRCRAFT AND WE DECIDED FIRST TO FLY OVER THE LA JOLLA INDIAN RESERVATION AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE RACETRACK; I WAS GOING TO BE DOING SOME FUTURE PHOTOGRAPHY WORK IN THE HELICOPTER FOR THE MOTOCROSS RACES THERE." THE STUDENT TOLD THE INSTRUCTOR TO TAKE THE CONTROLS AND FLY A RACETRACK PATTERN OVER THE TRACK AND MAKE AN AERIAL APPLICATION TYPE TURN AT THE END OF THE TRACK TO REVERSE COURSE. THEN THE STUDENT WOULD TRY AND DUPLICATE THE MANEUVER. AS THEY CHANGED CONTROLS FROM ONE ANOTHER THEY WOULD SAY, "YOU GOT IT," OR " OKAY, I GOT IT" TO CONFIRM THE TRANSITION. AFTER THE MANEUVERS WERE COMPLETED OVER THE TRACK, A CRITIQUING TOOK PLACE WHILE THE STUDENT WAS FLYING IN A HOVER. AFTER THE CRITIQUING, THE STUDENT REPORTED THAT HE TOLD THE INSTRUCTOR TO FLY US OUT OF HERE AND WE WILL GO OVER TO RAMONA. ACCORD ING TO THE STUDENT, WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS HE SAID, "I GOT IT." ABOUT THE SAME TIME, THE STUDENT SAID THAT THE HELICOPTER DRIFTED A LITTLE BIT AND LOST A LITTLE ALTITUDE. THE STUDENT GOT BACK ON THE CONTROLS AND THE INSTRUCTOR SAID "I GOT IT" AND HE LET GO. THE HELICOPTER AGAIN DRIFTED A LITTLE BIT AND THE STUDENT SAW THROUGH THE LOWER BUBBLE A ROCK STICKING UP OUT OF THE BRUSH. THE BRUSH WAS ABOUT 5 FEET HIGH. THE HELICOPTER DRIFTED OVER, THE SKID HIT THE ROCK, AND THE HELICOPTER WENT INTO A DYNAMIC ROLLOVER. A POSTACCIDENT FIRE CONSUMED MAJOR PORTIONS OF THE HELICOPTER. THE SAFETY BOARD EXAMINED THE WRECKAGE AFTER RECOVERY WITH NO ANOMALIES DISCOVERED. THE PILOT STATED IN HIS REPORT OF THE ACCIDENT THAT THERE WERE NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES. ## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1) From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. - [NTSB LAX00LA172](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA172), Apr 27, 2000: Robinson R22 Beta (N622EH), San Diego, CA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The failure of the flight instructor to maintain control of the helicopter, resulting in skid contact with an obstacle and dynamic roll over. 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.