- Date
- May 5, 1991, 17:38 local (21:38 UTC)
- Place
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2360KRobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 2, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910505016949A
- Case key
- 15056
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
Loss of engine power due to carburetor ice, and the pilot's failure to use carburetor heat. Factors related to the accident were: carburetor icing conditions, and a false indication from the carburetor air temperature gage.
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 rprtd that during flt, he noted RPM fluctuations & a warning buzzer. He adjusted the throttle to 100% & noted that all gages were 'in the green.' He checked the carburetor (carb) heat gage & noted it was one needle width above the yellow section & that the outside air temp was 9 deg c (48 deg f). With these indcns, he discounted carb ice & did not apply carb heat. Subsequently, the eng lost additional power before the plt could reach the rwy. During an emerg landing, the helicopter rolled over. An exam & subsequent eng run revealed no mechanical anomalies, except that the carb air temp gage was indicating 4 deg c above the actual temp. Temp & dew point at Ann Arbor were 51 & 50 deg f, respectively. According to carb ice charts, conditions were conducive to carb ice.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2360K
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0525
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Lutz, Robert A
- Registered owner
- Unknown
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 4, 1971 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- PRIV · Ann Arbor, MI
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- Ann Arbor
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
- 59
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 1,355 total · 65 in this make and model · 1,055 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 52 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ARB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.