- Date
- October 4, 1986, 22:50 local (Oct 5, 1986, 03:50 UTC)
- Place
- Minden, LA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N90455Robinson R22
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19861004047779A
- Case key
- 22286
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.
In flight encounter with weather
Preflight planning/preparation - inadequateFactor
Light condition - dark nightFactor
Weather condition - fogFactor
Vfr flight into imc - inadvertentCause
In flight collision with object
Descent - initiated
Object - tree(s)Factor
Analysis
The non-instrument rated plt entered IMC conditions while in cruise flt on a dark night at an altitude of 500 ft. he then entered a descent to reach VMC. During the descent, the helicopter collided with a tree at aprx 75 to 100 feet AGL,then crashed to the ground.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N90455
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0123
- Airframe hours
- 772
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A2B, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Bone & Joint Clinic
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 28, 1986 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- RSN · Ruston, LA
- Destination
- SHV · Shreveport, LA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 866 total · 359 in this make and model · 831 as pilot in command · 41 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SHV, 20 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.