- Date
- October 6, 1982, 10:08 local (17:08 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Ana, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8358BRobinson R22
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 6, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19821006051529A
- Case key
- 72525
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 commercial plt was rated in fixed wing acft, but in the helicopter, had student privileges only. He had obtained aprx 37 hrs of dual instruction & 3 hrs of solo time in the Robinson R22 helicopter; however, 1.3 hrs of his solo time was limited to hover flt only. He was not endorsed for unsupervised solo on 10/6/82. He took off on the x-country flt to commute to his place of business. While en route, the acft was observed flying low & fast when the main rotor struck the cockpit. According to witnesses, the helicopter was flying in level flt & the eng was running "flat out" until the main rotor sys separated. The helicopter then entered a steep dive, crashed & burned. Exam of the wreckage revealed that mast bumping & severance of the main rotor drive shaft had occurred. The exam failed to disclose any failure, malfunction or abnormality prior to the main rotor separation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8358B
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0302
- Airframe hours
- 14
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Thomas Anthony Ballas
- Registered owner
- Madison Manufactured Housing
- Departed
- Santa Ana, CA
- Destination
- Ontario, CA
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
- 62
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 4,777 total · 40 in this make and model · 4,732 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 1 statute miles
- Temperature
- 149 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SNA, 5 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.