- Date
- February 12, 1987, 14:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Myersville, MD
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9073YRobinson R22
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 8, 1988
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 11280
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
The non-instrument rated commercial pilot departed hgr in a Robinson helicopter that was not equipped to fly in instrument conditions. The pilot had not logged any instrument time and elected to depart in IFR conditions under a special VFR clearance. ATC transcripts of the hgr tower revealed that the pilot intended to fly along interstate highways leading back to the Washington area. The wreckage was located on the east side of interstate 70 at a point where it turned south to go over a ridgeline. A weather study indicated that mountain ridges in the area would have been obscured by fog and there would have been light and possibly moderate rime icing at low altitudes particularly on the western side of the mountain ridges.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9073Y
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0230
- Airframe hours
- 2,323
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Steven Phillips Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Christopher K Sanders
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 21, 1986 · 61 hours before
- Departed
- HGR · Hagerstown, MD
- Destination
- W32 · Clinton, MD
- Airport
- HGR · Washington County Airport
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
- 44
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 190 total · 190 in this make and model · 120 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft
- Temperature
- 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HGR, 12 nm away
Other investigations on N9073Y · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.