# Accident 20060810018849A: Robsin R22BETA, Tucson, AZ, August 10, 2006 - Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: August 10, 2006, 08:55 local time - Place: Tucson, AZ - Airport: Tucson International - Damage: Destroyed - Phase of flight: Climb - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 32.3972° N, 110.7689° W: From the FAA - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3972&lon=-110.7689&mi=10 - Aircraft: N7059S, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7059S) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBSIN R22BETA - People aboard: 1 - Fatal injuries: 1 - Pilot flight hours: 1,080 total, 1,058 in this make and model, 285 in the last 90 days - NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX06LA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06LA257) (OpenAirDocs) - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060810018849A ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. (-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. ## 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 LAX06LA257](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06LA257), Aug 10, 2006: Robinson R22 Beta (N7059S), Tucson, AZ, substantial damage, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm and adequate terrain clearance while maneuvering to reverse direction. Contributing factors were the high density altitude, that exceeded the… ## Other reports on N7059S (1) Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date. - [Incident 19990806023339I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19990806023339I), Aug 6, 1999: Robsin R22BETA (N7059S), Cheyenne, WY, Minor damage. (-23) Mr. Mcfaul stated that just after take off the aircraft began to shudder. The pilot reduced power and turned to return to the airport. At this time the… 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.