- Date
- May 18, 1989, 18:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rocksprings, TX
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N58228Hughes 269C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 23, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890518012279A
- Case key
- 22742
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 diverted his attention from operation of the helicopter, failed to maintian proper rotor RPM, and failed to maintain altitude (clearance) above the ground, while maneuvering at low altitude. A contributing factor was his impairment from use of a prescription drug (nordiazepam or diazepam), which was not compatible with flying.
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 was flying low & herding antelope, when the helicopter impacted the terrain & was destroyed. He was still conscious after the acdnt, but died about 3 hrs later. Before dying, he said the eng had lost power; however, no preimpact part failure or malfunction of the acft or eng was found that would have led to a power loss. An exam of the wreckage revealed the helicopter had impacted in a left bank, nose low attitude. All 3 main rotor blades had evidence of high flapping angles at impact. Toxicology checks of the plt's blood, liver & kidney revealed the presence of nordiazepam at levels of 0.104 mg/l, 0.846 mg/l & 0.427 mg/l, respectively. The toxicologist rprtd the therapeutic range for nordiazepam in blood was 0.02 to 0.18 mg/l. nordiazapam is a sedative & cns depressant which is not approved for flying.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N58228
- Reported as
- Hughes 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 290771
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brad Alcorn
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE
- Airport
- NONE
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 2,450 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- ERV, 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.