- Date
- July 24, 1991, 18:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Carmel, IN
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N8017DRobinson R 22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 24, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910724029809A
- Case key
- 14911
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 delaying remedial action. Factors in the accident were the pilot's failure to attain adequate rotor RPM for takeoff, failure to abort takeoff and lack of total experience in helicopters.
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
An inactive private pilot with 150 airplane hours resumed flying with instruction leading to a helicopter rating after 35 hours in type. On his first flight since the check date, the pilot rented a helicopter for a sightseeing excursion. Witnesses recounted a takeoff and departure with low engine and rotor RPM. The aircraft crashed upright, one half mile from takeoff in a steep descent; low rotor energy was evident. No mechanical or material failure was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8017D
- Reported as
- Robinson R 22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1009
- Airframe hours
- 868
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Clayton W. Farrar, doing business as Helicopter Air-Link Corp.
- Registered owner
- Wright Avaition Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 15, 1991 · 63 hours before
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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 188 total · 37 in this make and model · 137 as pilot in command · 34 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 57 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IND, 17 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.