- Date
- April 22, 1992, 12:40 local (16:40 UTC)
- Place
- Atlanta, GA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2589XRobinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920422010639A
- Case key
- 8502
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate evaluation of the weather (wind condition), and the inflight decision to hover with gusting tailwinds, which resulted in a complete loss of tail rotor control. A factor was gusting tailwinds.
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
The pilot had positioned the helicopter on an easterly heading to allow the passenger to photograph a cemetery. According to the pilot, as the helicopter slowed through translational lift, additional power and left peddle were applied to maintain the hover. While hovering about 400 feet above the ground, the helicopter was hit by a strong wind gust, the pilot lost tail rotor thrust and control of the helicopter. Efforts to arrest the uncontrollable condition failed. The helicopter lost altitude and collided with the multi-family dwelling. Westerly gusting surface winds, max 19 knots, were recorded at the three local airports at the time of the accident. The wreckage examination failed to disclose any mechanical problems. Flight control continuity was established from the cockpit to the respective flight control surfaces.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2589X
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 667M
- Airframe hours
- 1,642
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Carroll, Ronald
- Registered owner
- Carroll, Ronald
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · February 13, 1992 · 53 hours before
- Departed
- LZU · Lawrenceville, GA
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
- 30
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 197 total · 197 in this make and model · 156 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ATL, 18 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.