- Date
- February 25, 1985, 15:02 local (23:02 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N85550Robinson R-22A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 24663
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
Student plt stated that while flying the last leg of a solo cross country flight he was flying along the coast at 50 to 75 feet, he diverted his attention to look at the a man on the beach and when he looked back at the instruments he noticed the helicopter was descending. Before the descent rate could be arrested the helicopter crashed into the pacific ocean. The pilot does not suspect he lost power at the time he attempted to arrest his descent and post crash inspection of the engine revealed no evidence to indicate precrash mechanical failure or malfunction.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N85550
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0445
- Airframe hours
- 330
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Myron Rupprecht
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- SBA · Santa Barbara, CA
- Destination
- WHP · Los Angeles, CA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 37 total · 28 in this make and model · 11 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 250° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SBA, 10 nm away