- Date
- April 20, 1989, 05:08 local (12:08 UTC)
- Place
- Stockton, CA
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N26198Robinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Status
- Completed · report December 10, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890420009449A
- Case key
- 26223
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
Poor judgement of the pilot by flying while physically impaired from consumption of alcohol & drugs, and his failure to maintain proper altitude. The light condition (at night) and the obstructions (power lines and building) were considered to be contributing factors.
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
After an evening of socializing, the plt & pax elected to go on a local flt in the early morning hrs before sunrise. They took the helicopter (N26198) without proper authorization & took off drg darkness. A short time later, the helicopter was observed flying at low altitude in an erractic manner. Subsequently, it collided with a power line, then hit the roof of a building, crashed to the ground & burned. No preexisting airframe or engine malfunction was found drg the investigation. Toxicology checks of blood & urine samples were made. The checks showed the plt & pax had blood/alcohol levels of 0.17% & 0.11% (grams%), respectively. A drug screen of fluid from the plt showed cocaine/benzoylecgonine levels of 0.19 mg/l. toxicology checks concerning the pax were negative for drugs.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N26198
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0724
- Airframe hours
- 918
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David & Patricia Heath, doing business as Sunrise Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Environmental Trans. Special
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 14, 1989 · 22 hours before
- Departed
- SCK · Stockton, CA
- Destination
- SCK
- Airport
- SCK
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 107 total · 107 in this make and model · 46 as pilot in command · 30 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/bright
- Wind
- 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 20,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SCK, 6 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.