- Date
- July 26, 1990, 13:58 local (18:58 UTC)
- Place
- Tahlequah, OK
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N20KRobinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 30, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 23049
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's failure to maintain adequate altitude.
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 public use helicopter was in low level cruise flight west bound along a highway when it struck an unmarked static line. It descended uncontrolled and impacted the highway. The area surrounding the five wire high tension powerlines was hilly and covered with dense foliage. Examination of the wreckage revealed no structural or mechancial anomalies. The powerlines were depicted on the sectional aeronantical chart.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N20K
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 789
- Airframe hours
- 1,438
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Operator
- State Of Oklahoma, doing business as Oklahoma Highway Patrol
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 6, 1990 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- HAX · Muskogee, OK
- Destination
- NONE · Adair Cty., OK
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
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,127 total · 924 in this make and model · 1,006 as pilot in command · 94 in the last 90 days · 32 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 12,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TUL, 25 nm away