- Date
- November 23, 1990, 16:03 local (Nov 24, 1990, 00:03 UTC)
- Place
- Simi Valley, CA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N80783Robinson R22Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 2, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19901123051809A
- Case key
- 26964
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 to the tailboom and cockpit.
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 CFI stated the student was a 'better than average' pilot. The student had accumulated 37 hours of flight time and was instructed to practice takeoffs, approach to landings, and traffic patterns. The accident occurred in the local practice area. There were no eye witnesses to the crash. The wreckage was partially consumed by fire, and the upper left door frame was found separated from the main wreckage and exhibited black paint transfer from being struck by the main rotor blade. There was evidence that the main rotor blade diverged from its normal plane of rotation and severed the tailboom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80783
- Reported as
- Robinson R22Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1319
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Orbic Helicopter Inc.
- Departed
- VNY · Van Nuys, 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
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 160 total · 37 in this make and model · 65 as pilot in command · 115 in the last 90 days · 41 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 18 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VNY, 15 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.