- Date
- April 19, 1991, 11:45 local (18:45 UTC)
- Place
- Redding, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N7135XTownsend Executive
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 7, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910419011689A
- Case key
- 27178
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 failure of the pilot to maintain control of the helicopter. A factor in the accident was the pilot's lack of total experience in helicopters.
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 pilot does not hold a rotorcraft class rating, however, was endorsed for solo privileges in the townsend executive helicopter. The pilot said he was practicing takeoffs and landings and lost control of the helicopter while turning from base to final. The helicopter collided with the ground in a left banked attitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7135X
- Reported as
- Townsend Executive
- Category
- Helicopter, amateur-built
- Serial number
- 2961
- Engine
- Rotorway RW-152, 152 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Leslie E. Townsend
- Registered owner
- Leslie E. Townsend
- Last inspection
- Unknown · January 2, 2000
- Airport
- RDD · Redding Muni, runway 36, 2,000 × 30 ft, asphalt
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
- 64
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 446 total · 50 in this make and model · 346 as pilot in command · 16 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.