- Date
- May 20, 1990, 14:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Stevensville, MD
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N4003KRobinson R-22M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Status
- Completed · report September 21, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900520016849A
- Case key
- 11594
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 failed to maintain control while taxiing on turbulent water.
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 plt reported that while taxiing on the waters of the chesapeake bay he encountered a wave from a passing boat, causing the helicopter to nose down. The plt unsuccessfully tried to regain control with cylic input; however, the helicopter nosed over and sunk in the water. The plt reported no mechanical malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4003K
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22M
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1393M
- Airframe hours
- 40
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas Mcdermott
- Registered owner
- Thomas Mcdermott
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- W32 · Clinton, MD
- Destination
- W29 · Stevensville, MD
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,010 total · 2,700 in this make and model · 2,985 as pilot in command · 230 in the last 90 days · 70 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Not reported
- Wind
- 90° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- BWI, 20 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.