- Date
- September 4, 2003, 20:00 local (Sep 5, 2003, 01:00 UTC)
- Place
- Argusville, ND
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N2301FRobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 24, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20030904036889A
- Case key
- 59714
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 altitude/clearance not maintained from transmission wire(s) by the pilot during an unknown phase of flight. The transmission wire(s) were a contributing factor.
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
A helicopter, owned and piloted by a commercial pilot, received substantial damage on impact with transmission line(s) during a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The accident was not reported by the pilot and was discovered by the Federal Aviation Administration on June 4, 2004. The National Transportation Safety Board did not receive a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report from the pilot.
Factual narrative
On September 4, 2003, at 2000 central daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta, N2301F, owned and piloted by a commercial pilot, received substantial damage on impact with power line(s) near Argusville, North Dakota. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Argusville, North Dakota, at an unknown time.
The 1991 Robinson R22 Beta, serial number 1822, was registered to the pilot on July 2, 2003.
The pilot held a commercial pilot certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating and a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. The pilot was issued a third class airman medical certificate on April 2, 2003, with the following restriction: "must wear corrective lenses." A total civilian flight time of 300 hours was reported on the pilot's last airman medical certificate application.
The accident was not reported by the pilot and was discovered by the Federal Aviation Administration on June 4, 2004. The National Transportation Safety Board did not receive a Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report from the pilot.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2301F
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1822
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Garry A. Matthys
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- PVT · Argusville, ND
- Destination
- PVT · Argusville, ND
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
- 36
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 300 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- FAR, 15 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.
Other investigations on N2301F · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.