- Date
- December 23, 1985, 16:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Sonora, TX
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N9074URobinson R22 HT
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19851223063499A
- Case key
- 21963
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 contacted the terrain in an uncontrolled descent after colliding with power lines during a climbing turn to the west. The plt reported he could not see the power lines because of glare from the setting sun.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9074U
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 HT
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0245
- Airframe hours
- 610
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Tryon Lewis Fields
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1985 · 66 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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 182 total · 158 in this make and model · 134 as pilot in command · 182 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.