What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
N7186Z, an R44 piloted by howard s. leight, landed on leight star yacht, docked in the convention center marina. At approximately 1515 hours on August 22, 2010. He had departed from montgomery field (myf). Prior to departure from myf, N7186Z was topped off with fuel. At 1600 hours Mr. Leight prepared for departure back to myf. After performing mag and deicing checks, he departed after contacting north island tower. He planned to fly south over coronado bridge to myf. Lifting off he increased air speed to 60 knots. As he approached the bridge, he experienced what he said was "a loss of power". He was above the bridge but could not climb. He heard a screeching sound in his head set. Air speed decreased. Low RPM horn sounded. Manifold pressure "was up". He pulled up on collective. Nothing happened. Performed an auto rotation by turning into wind. He was falling so fast he did not have time to finish turn into wind. At approximately 100 feet he deployed floats. Flared up nose, (he is not sure if the tail boom hit the water first). All plexiglass shattered. He went under water. Released belts as he tried to evacuate, he realized his back was hurt bad (because he had broken 3 vertabra). He remembers releasing the tab on the carburetor heat. (The tab was found to have been released upon investigation at the accident scene). Pilot states his logbooks were in the aircraft at the time of the accident and are now in the San Diego bay. They were not recovered. He also states he did not know he was required to have a sfar 73 flight review and has never received one. He did attend the Robinson pilot safety course on 9/12/2003. Engine teardown by the NTSB at the Robinson facility revealed there was no internal damage to the engine. Mags, plugs checked good. We (ntsb/faa suspect carb icing as stated earlier.
As the FAA filed it
N7186Z, AN R44 PILOTED BY HOWARD S. LEIGHT, LANDED ON LEIGHT STAR YACHT, DOCKED IN THE CONVENTION CENTER MARINA.AT APPROXIMATELY 1515 HOURS ON AUGUST 22, 2010. HE HAD DEPARTED FROM MONTGOMERY FIELD (MYF). PRIOR TO DEPARTURE FROM MYF, N7186Z WAS TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL. AT 1600 HOURS MR. LEIGHT PREPARED FOR DEPARTURE BACK TO MYF. AFTER PERFORMING MAG AND DEICING CHECKS, HE DEPARTED AFTER CONTACTING NORTH ISLAND TOWER. HE PLANNED TO FLY SOUTH OVER CORONADO BRIDGE TO MYF. LIFTING OFF HE INCREASED AIR SPEED TO 60 KNOTS. AS HE APPROACHED THE BRIDGE, HE EXPERIENCED WHAT HE SAID WAS "A LOSS OF POWER". HE WAS ABOVE THE BRIDGE BUT COULD NOT CLIMB.HE HEARD A SCREECHING SOUND IN HIS HEAD SET. AIR SPEED DECREASED. LOW RPM HORN SOUNDED. MANIFOLD PRESSURE "WAS UP". HE PULLED UP ON COLLECTIVE. NOTHING HAPPENED. PERFORMED AN AUTO ROTATION BY TURNING INTO WIND. HE WAS FALLING SO FAST HE DID NOT HAVE TIME TO FINISH TURN INTO WIND. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET HE DEPLOYED FLOATS. FLARED UP NOSE, (HE IS NOT SURE IF THE TAIL BOOM HIT THE WATER FIRST). ALL PLEXIGLASS SHATTERED. HE WENT UNDER WATER. RELEASED BELTS AS HE TRIED TO EVACUATE, HE REALIZED HIS BACK WAS HURT BAD (BECAUSE HE HAD BROKEN 3 VERTABRA). HE REMEMBERS RELEASING THE TAB ON THE CARBURETOR HEAT. (THE TAB WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN RELEASED UPON INVESTIGATION AT THE ACCIDENT SCENE). PILOT STATES HIS LOGBOOKS WERE IN THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT AND ARE NOW IN THE SAN DIEGO BAY. THEY WERE NOT RECOVERED. HE ALSO STATES HE DID NOT KNOW HE WAS REQUIRED TO HAVE A SFAR 73 FLIGHT REVIEW AND HAS NEVER RECEIVED ONE. HE DID ATTEND THE ROBINSON PILOT SAFETY COURSE ON 9/12/2003. ENGINE TEARDOWN BY THE NTSB AT THE ROBINSON FACILITY REVEALED THERE WAS NO INTERNAL DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE. MAGS, PLUGS CHECKED GOOD. WE (NTSB/FAA SUSPECT CARB ICING AS STATED EARLIER.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.