- Date
- November 3, 1987, 13:38 local (21:38 UTC)
- Place
- Moraga, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8475ARobinson R22A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 2, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19871103061769A
- Case key
- 25787
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
A divergence of the main rotor from its normal plane of rotation for an undetermined reason, which resulted in rotor contact with the cockpit area.
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 student was on a dual flight, reviewing maneuvers & procedures to revalidate an expired CFI certificate. An exam of his log revealed that on the last 2 flights, he occupied the left pilot seat & practiced teaching quick stops, hovering autorotations, low rotor RPM recovery & throttle cuts. Witnesses said the helicopter had been working the area about 20 min near a hill top. They said the helicopter was hovering 'at 400' agl' when the engine noise suddenly 'died off' & then they heard a loud 'pop.' They saw parts falling off the helicopter as it fell. An exam of the wreckage revealed a main rotor blade entered the left side of the cockpit. No preimpact system malfunction was found. Toxicology tests showed a trace of marijuana metabolite in the instructor's urine, but a toxicologist concluded there was no 'current influence' of the drug. A trace of cocaine metabolite was detected in the student's urine. The safety board found that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that drugs had affected either pilot's ability to operate the aircraft.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8475A
- Reported as
- Robinson R22A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0389
- Airframe hours
- 2,334
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Helicopter Adventures, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Helicopter Adventures, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 12, 1987 · 83 hours before
- Departed
- CCR · Concord, 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
- 32
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 772 total · 456 in this make and model · 688 as pilot in command · 189 in the last 90 days · 73 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- CCR, 8 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.