- Date
- July 7, 1985, 01:30 local (09:30 UTC)
- Place
- Summit Lake, AK
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8530JRobinson R-22A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Alaska Regional Office
- FAA report
- 19850707033259A
- Case key
- 4520
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
Helicopter struck glassy water lake during a low alt turn. Plt/flt instructor said he became disoriented during the turn, after he looked inside the helicopter briefly to check the rotor RPM. Accident occured during a bright night.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8530J
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0434
- Airframe hours
- 106
- Engine
- Avco Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Datco Reality, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 2, 1985 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- Summit Lake, AK
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 400 total · 95 in this make and model · 245 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 360° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 100 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.