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20080125009699A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 BETA · Los Angeles, CA · January 25, 2008

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
January 25, 2008 · 10:59 local
Place
Los Angeles, CA
Phase of flight
Unauth Low Level Opns
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N705JJ
NTSB investigation
NTSBLAX08FA052
Reported as
Robsin R22BETA
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
65 total65 in this make and model65 in the last 90 days
N705JJRegistration cancelled Oct 21, 2013 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 4180 · Built 2007Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine modelLycoming O-360-J2AReciprocating

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) Single pilot/occupant was operating at night along interstate highway at low altitude. Aircraft struck high tension power lines at approximately 128 feet above roadway. Aircraft broke apart in flight and fell to highway; main wreckage came to rest against center barrier of I-110. Post crash fire consumed much of aircraft. One main rotor blade separated from the hub in flight and was located about 1/4 mile from wire strike area east of the highway on top of a home. Wire strike witness marks were found on the separated rotor blade spar and the right forward skid tube and the vertical support for the skid tube. Upon removing the pilot from the wreckage it was noted that he was holding his cell phone in his left hand. Because of severe burn damage to the pilot and cell phone it is not possible to ascertain if he was in fact using the cell phone immediately prior to the accident. Cell phone carrier could provide that information if we were able to obtain local use details (luds) from the cell carrier.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) SINGLE PILOT/OCCUPANT WAS OPERATING AT NIGHT ALONG INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AT LOW ALTITUDE. AIRCRAFT STRUCK HIGH TENSION POWER LINES AT APPROXIMATELY 128 FEET ABOVE ROADWAY. AIRCRAFT BROKE APART IN FLIGHT AND FELL TO HIGHWAY; MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST AGAINST CENTER BARRIER OF I-110. POST CRASH FIRE CONSUMED MUCH OF AIRCRAFT. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE SEPARATED FROM THE HUB IN FLIGHT AND WAS LOCATED ABOUT 1/4 MILE FROM WIRE STRIKE AREA EAST OF THE HIGHWAY ON TOP OF A HOME. WIRE STRIKE WITNESS MARKS WERE FOUND ON THE SEPARATED ROTOR BLADE SPAR AND THE RIGHT FORWARD SKID TUBE AND THE VERTICAL SUPPORT FOR THE SKID TUBE. UPON REMOVING THE PILOT FROM THE WRECKAGE IT WAS NOTED THAT HE WAS HOLDING HIS CELL PHONE IN HIS LEFT HAND. BECAUSE OF SEVERE BURN DAMAGE TO THE PILOT AND CELL PHONE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ASCERTAIN IF HE WAS IN FACT USING THE CELL PHONE IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. CELL PHONE CARRIER COULD PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION IF WE WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN LOCAL USE DETAILS (LUDS) FROM THE CELL CARRIER.

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 LAX08FA052Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportLos Angeles, CAThe pilot's failure to maintain an adequate obstacle clearance altitude from transmission wires during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the dark night conditions.Jan 26, 2008 · Destroyed