What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On August 10, 2006, at approximately 0855 MST, N7059S, a Robinson R-22 helicopter, with the pilot privacy data omitted performing as pilot-in-command, crashed while maneuvering in sabino canyon near Tucson, Arizona. The pilot privacy data omitted and his passenger were attempting to fly to the top of the mountain to take pictures of real estate sites. The pilot privacy data omitted stated during an interview that the first approach into the area did not look good so he attempted to make an additional attempt on a ridgeline further to the southeast. While attempting to fly up the ridgeline, the pilot privacy data omitted stated that the aircraft was in an updraft and climbing at approximately 1000 feet per minute (fpm). The aircraft was at approximately 300 feet above ground level (AGL). As the aircraft was climbing, the pilot privacy data omitted noticed that the airspeed was beginning to decrease followed shortly by the low rotor RPM warning horn. The pilot privacy data omitted attempted to recover rotor RPM by reducing the collective and rolling on throttle. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that he started a left turn to utilize his escape route which was down and to the left. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that he added left pedal to expedite the turn. As the aircraft rolled out of the turn, the rate of descent increased and the low rotor horn again sounded. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that the aircraft was over the center of the canyon and was descending at a high rate. The pilot privacy data omitted attempted to regain rotor RPM and airspeed, but was unable to regain control of the aircraft before impacting the terrain. Witness marks at the accident site indicate the aircraft main rotor struck three trees to the right side of the canyon followed by the tail rotor striking the ground. The aircraft descended forward and left and the left side of the aircraft impacted the ground. The aircraft bounced and came to rest inverted and wedged between two rocks. The pilot privacy data omitted stated he was able to release his seatbelt and attempted to free his passenger. The pilot's privacy data omitted attempt to free his passenger was unsuccessful as he was wedged into the aircraft. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that at this time, he was able to detect a low pulse from his passenger. The pilot privacy data omitted then located his cell phone, egressed from the aircraft and hiked down canyon to call 911. The pilot privacy data omitted directed a search and rescue helicopter to his location utilizing his cell phone. The pilot privacy data omitted returned to the aircraft but was unable to get a response from his passenger or detect a pulse. The pilot privacy data omitted was air lifted out of the accident site by helicopter at approximately 1130 am. The pilot privacy data omitted stated during the interview at the hospital that he had no reason to believe that there was anyting mechanically wrong with the aircraft. The aircraft was destroyed in this accident. The aircraft crash site was in sabino canyon, east of Tucson at approximately 6400 feet MSL. The density altitude was calculated at 8400 feet. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that the outside air temperature was 21 degrees celsius. The pilot privacy data omitted was asked about the gross weight of the aircraft at takeoff from Tucson International. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that they were at 1310 pounds at takeoff. The pilot privacy data omitted stated that he weighed 160 pounds, his passenger weighed 180 pounds, his passenger had approximately 20 pounds of camera equipment, and they had 29 gallons of fuel on board at takeoff. Empty weight of the aircraft was obtained from the flight manual and weight and balance calculations indicate the aircraft was approximately 44 pounds over gross weight at takeoff. Monsoonal thunderstorms were building to the east of the mountain, however, the weather was VFR at the accident site. The pilot privacy data omitted did not indicate that weather was a factor in this accident.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON AUGUST 10, 2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 0855 MST, N7059S, A ROBINSON R-22 HELICOPTER, WITH THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMIT^ PERFORMING AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND, CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING IN SABINO CANYON NEAR TUCSON, ARIZONA. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ AND HIS PASSENGER WERE ATTEMPTING TO FLY TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN TO TAKE PICTURES OF REAL ESTATE SITES. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED DURING AN INTERVIEW THAT THE FIRST APPROACH INTO THE AREA DID NOT LOOK GOOD SO HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE AN ADDITIONAL ATTEMPT ON A RIDGELINE FURTHER TO THE SOUTHEAST. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO FLY UP THE RIDGELINE, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN AN UPDRAFT AND CLIMBING AT APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET PER MINUTE (FPM). THE AIRCRAFT WAS AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS CLIMBING, THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ NOTICED THAT THE AIRSPEED WAS BEGINNING TO DECREASE FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY THE LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING HORN. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ ATTEMPTED TO RECOVER ROTOR RPM BY REDUCING THE COLLECTIVE AND ROLLING ON THROTTLE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT HE STARTED A LEFT TURN TO UTILIZE HIS ESCAPE ROUTE WHICH WAS DOWN AND TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT HE ADDED LEFT PEDAL TO EXPEDITE THE TURN. AS THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN, THE RATE OF DESCENT INCREASED AND THE LOW ROTOR HORN AGAIN SOUNDED. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OVER THE CENTER OF THE CANYON AND WAS DESCENDING AT A HIGH RATE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ ATTEMPTED TO REGAIN ROTOR RPM AND AIRSPEED, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT BEFORE IMPACTING THE TERRAIN. WITNESS MARKS AT THE ACCIDENT SITE INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THREE TREES TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CANYON FOLLOWED BY THE TAIL ROTOR STRIKING THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED FORWARD AND LEFT AND THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND CAME TO REST INVERTED AND WEDGED BETWEEN TWO ROCKS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED HE WAS ABLE TO RELEASE HIS SEATBELT AND ATTEMPTED TO FREE HIS PASSENGER. THE PILOT'S ^PRIVACY DAT^ ATTEMPT TO FREE HIS PASSENGER WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AS HE WAS WEDGED INTO THE AIRCRAFT. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT AT THIS TIME, HE WAS ABLE TO DETECT A LOW PULSE FROM HIS PASSENGER. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ THEN LOCATED HIS CELL PHONE, EGRESSED FROM THE AIRCRAFT AND HIKED DOWN CANYON TO CALL 911. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ DIRECTED A SEARCH AND RESCUE HELICOPTER TO HIS LOCATION UTILIZING HIS CELL PHONE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ RETURNED TO THE AIRCRAFT BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE FROM HIS PASSENGER OR DETECT A PULSE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ WAS AIR LIFTED OUT OF THE ACCIDENT SITE BY HELICOPTER AT APPROXIMATELY 1130 AM. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED DURING THE INTERVIEW AT THE HOSPITAL THAT HE HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS ANYTING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED IN THIS ACCIDENT. THE AIRCRAFT CRASH SITE WAS IN SABINO CANYON, EAST OF TUCSON AT APPROXIMATELY 6400 FEET MSL. THE DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS CALCULATED AT 8400 FEET. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT THE OUTSIDE AIR TEMPERATURE WAS 21 DEGREES CELSIUS. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ WAS ASKED ABOUT THE GROSS WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AT TAKEOFF FROM TUCSON INTERNATIONAL. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT THEY WERE AT 1310 POUNDS AT TAKEOFF. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ STATED THAT HE WEIGHED 160 POUNDS, HIS PASSENGER WEIGHED 180 POUNDS, HIS PASSENGER HAD APPROXIMATELY 20 POUNDS OF CAMERA EQUIPMENT, AND THEY HAD 29 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT TAKEOFF. EMPTY WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBTAINED FROM THE FLIGHT MANUAL AND WEIGHT AND BALANCE CALCULATIONS INDICATE THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 44 POUNDS OVER GROSS WEIGHT AT TAKEOFF. MONSOONAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE BUILDING TO THE EAST OF THE MOUNTAIN, HOWEVER, THE WEATHER WAS VFR AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY D^ DID NOT INDICATE THAT WEATHER WAS A FACTOR IN THIS ACCIDENT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N7059S · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.