- Date
- January 21, 1990, 21:20 local (Jan 22, 1990, 05:20 UTC)
- Place
- Parlier, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8013KRobinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report September 10, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900121000999A
- Case key
- 26725
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
The pilot's flight into the known adverse weather and his inadvertent descent to the ground. Factors in the accident were: the fog condition and spatial disorientation of the pilot.
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 plt obtained the wx conditions at the privately owned helipad before depg on the acdnt flt. While en route to the helipad, he observed ground fog in the area. The gnd fog became so dense that he overflew the helipad and entered the fog. While looking for a visual reference, the helicopter's descent rate increased. Before the plt could arrest the descent, the helicopter collided with the terrain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8013K
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0968
- Airframe hours
- 296
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- William R. Hose
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 3, 1989 · 44 hours before
- Departed
- Chowchilla, CA
- Airport
- 032 · Reedly
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 393 total · 153 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 39 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.