- Date
- January 22, 1989, 10:26 local (18:26 UTC)
- Place
- Santa Barbara, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8529CRobinson R22A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890122000979A
- Case key
- 26206
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain adequate altitude, proper airspeed for the reduced visibility, and an adequate visual outlook to avoid a collision with power transmission cable. Contributing to the accident was reduced visibility due to fog.
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 helicopter departed the arpt with vis of 4 miles in fog. Approach control radar was observing the helicopter's progress and noted a 180 turn with a descent. The ATCT asked the plt his intentions. The plt stated he planned to follow a hwy 2/10 of a mile north of the aprt. Witnesses in accident area described the weather as sunny with coastal fog. The 1300 lb helicopter struck a 30,000 lb. Tensile strength cable severing it. The cable was suspended across a valley in mountainous-hilly terrain. It was 294 feet above the creek at the highest point. 14 CFR part 91.105, allows the plt to operate a helicopter when the visibility is less than one mile 'if operated at a speed that allows the pilot adequate opportunity to see any air traffic or obstruction in time to avoid a collision.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8529C
- Reported as
- Robinson R22A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 432
- Airframe hours
- 780
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Enchanted Kingdom Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 16, 1989
- Airport
- SBA · Santa Barbara
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Private, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 273 total · 120 in this make and model · 168 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 23,000 ft broken
- Observed at
- SBA, 4 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.