- Date
- January 27, 1983, 15:15 local (21:15 UTC)
- Place
- Zapata, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N9021JRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19830127003159A
- Case key
- 20698
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 helicopter was landed in an area of dry grass, 18 to 28 inches tall. The plt stated that within 30 sec after a normal approach & touchdown, the passenger noticed a fire as he was exiting the acft. The pilot then rolled the throttle on in an attempt to move the acft. However, the engine did not respond. As he applied throttle, the plt saw flames coming up the left side of the acft. Both occupants then abandoned the aircraft. The fire was extinguished aprx 12 min later. An examination of the wreckage indicated that the hottest point of the fire was in the area of the gascolator. During the fire, the gascolator had melted allowing fuel to drain onto the ground under the engine. An exam of the fuel system revealed no leaks. The exhaust tailpipe opening was 16 inches off the ground. When the R22 throttle is rolled on, the accelerator pump injects fuel in the carburetor & unused fuel is then pumped overboard. On 2/14/83, the acft manual was changed to warn of dangers of landing in tall grass.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9021J
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0030
- Airframe hours
- 608
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Romeo R. Ramirez
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · April 7, 1982 · 98 hours before
- Departed
- Zapata, TX
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
- 35
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 6,100 total · 1,175 in this make and model · 5,940 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- LRD, 60 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.