What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at 1315 hrs PST, a Robinson R-22 aircraft that did not have a current registration, N8537J was flown by a commercial pilot who did not hold a current medical certificate. It was operated from the pilots home. The pilot departed his driveway with a passenger onboard for a pleasure flight. Aircraft proceeded to fly approximately .25 mile north, overflying "king lake". Witnesses reported that the aircraft came to a hover above the center of the lake and a skid contacted the surface while hovering.
Aircraft then rolled onto it's side an the rotor blades contacted the surface then the aircraft sunk. Pilot and passenger evacuated aircraft and were recovered by a neighbor who used a rowboat for rescue. Pilot was reported to say he was unable to swim and was subsequently determined to have expired. Efforts to revive pilot were unsucessful. Aircraft was recovered by private individuals under supervision of FAA and NTSB. Investigation of aircraft complete with no evidence of mechanical malfunction.
As the FAA filed it
ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2017 AT 1315 HRS PST, A ROBINSON R-22 AIRCRAFT THAT DID NOT HAVE A CURRENT REGISTRATION, N8537J WAS FLOWN BY A COMMERCIAL PILOT WHO DID NOT HOLD A CURRENT MEDICAL CERTIFICATE. IT WAS OPERATED FROM THE PILOTS HOME. THE PILOT DEPARTED HIS DRIVEWAY WITH A PASSENGER ONBOARD FOR A PLEASURE FLIGHT. AIRCRAFT PROCEEDED TO FLY APPROXIMATELY .25 MILE NORTH, OVERFLYING "KING LAKE". WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO A HOVER ABOVE THE CENTER OF THE LAKE AND A SKID CONTACTED THE SURFACE WHILE HOVERING.
AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED ONTO IT'S SIDE AN THE ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED THE SURFACE THEN THE AIRCRAFT SUNK. PILOT AND PASSENGER EVACUATED AIRCRAFT AND WERE RECOVERED BY A NEIGHBOR WHO USED A ROWBOAT FOR RESCUE. PILOT WAS REPORTED TO SAY HE WAS UNABLE TO SWIM AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY DETERMINED TO HAVE EXPIRED. EFFORTS TO REVIVE PILOT WERE UNSUCESSFUL. AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED BY PRIVATE INDIVIDUALS UNDER SUPERVISION OF FAA AND NTSB. INVESTIGATION OF AIRCRAFT COMPLETE WITH NO EVIDENCE OF MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.