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20040609011709I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Robsin R22 BETA · Kingsburg, CA · June 9, 2004

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
June 9, 2004 · 13:40 local
Place
Kingsburg, CA
Phase of flight
Hovering
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N2415C
Reported as
Robsin R22BETA
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
125 total125 in this make and model7 in the last 90 days
N2415CRegistration cancelled Oct 2, 2026 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 1044 · Built 1989Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine 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.

(-23) On 06-09-04, Mr. Moriarty was acting as pilot in command of a Robinson R-22 helicopter engaged in sight seeing near Kingsburg, CA, along the Kingsburg river. He stated that he decided to drop down and hover near and look at a house under construction and in the process the helicopter struck and broke a power line wire. He maintained control of the helicopter and made a normal/precautionary landing. Mr. Moriarty was solo and he was not injured. One of the police officers involved with the incident stated that the wires along the river are not marked or flagged as they do not expect aircraft to fly that low. The power line caused severe electrical arching throughout the helicopter. The front of the cowling around the drive shaft to the main rotor system was dented in and the main rotor drive shaft housing sustained electrical arching. Several attachment screws or bolts were burned away from the cowling where they had been attached. The helicopter position light housings and the skids also had noticeable signs of electrical arching.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON 06-09-04, MR. MORIARTY WAS ACTING AS PILOT IN COMMAND OF A ROBINSON R-22 HELICOPTER ENGAGED IN SIGHT SEEING NEAR KINGSBURG, CA, ALONG THE KINGSBURG RIVER. HE STATED THAT HE DECIDED TO DROP DOWN AND HOVER NEAR AND LOOK AT A HOUSE UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE PROCESS THE HELICOPTER STRUCK AND BROKE A POWER LINE WIRE. HE MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER AND MADE A NORMAL/PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. MR. MORIARTY WAS SOLO AND HE WAS NOT INJURED. ONE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS INVOLVED WITH THE INCIDENT STATED THAT THE WIRES ALONG THE RIVER ARE NOT MARKED OR FLAGGED AS THEY DO NOT EXPECT AIRCRAFT TO FLY THAT LOW. THE POWER LINE CAUSED SEVERE ELECTRICAL ARCHING THROUGHOUT THE HELICOPTER. THE FRONT OF THE COWLING AROUND THE DRIVE SHAFT TO THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM WAS DENTED IN AND THE MAIN ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT HOUSING SUSTAINED ELECTRICAL ARCHING. SEVERAL ATTACHMENT SCREWS OR BOLTS WERE BURNED AWAY FROM THE COWLING WHERE THEY HAD BEEN ATTACHED. THE HELICOPTER POSITION LIGHT HOUSINGS AND THE SKIDS ALSO HAD NOTICEABLE SIGNS OF ELECTRICAL ARCHING.