- Date
- March 4, 1992, 15:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Maricopa, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8413QRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 9, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920304005279A
- Case key
- 27410
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
Destructive mast bumping for an undetermined reason(s).
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 wreckage was located on flat desert terrain along a direct course line between the departure & destination airports. The tail boom had separated in flight. Damage was consistent with a low 'g' event resulting in a rapid right roll & subsequent main rotor blade strike on the left side of the cabin. The design strength of the tail cone's attachment points was exceeded. According to the manufacturer's paper on low 'g' mast bumping, both lateral control and damping in roll are proportional to g-load; in a two g pullup they both double, and in a zero g pushover they both go to zero. When they are zero, the pilot has no lateral control, and the helicopter has no damping in roll. The pilot was reportedly keenly aware that one should not place the R22 into a negative 'g' situation, or even a low 'g' situation, and was very knowledgeable of the R22'S structure and systems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8413Q
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0354
- Airframe hours
- 2,128
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Wesley F. Morris
- Registered owner
- Wesley F. Morris
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1991 · 48 hours before
- Destination
- P19 · Chandler, AZ
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
- 59
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 31,000 total · 300 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 225° at 9 knots, gusting 20
- Lowest ceiling
- 4,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.