- Date
- April 5, 1992, 13:13 local (20:13 UTC)
- Place
- Palm Springs, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N40433Robinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920405008879A
- Case key
- 27591
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 failure to maintain a proper cruise altitude upon entering a mountain pass area, and his failure to maintain control of the helicopter. Factors which contributed to the pilot's loss of control were related to his encountering turbulence and downdrafts.
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 indicated that prior to departure he had received a full weather briefing and no significant weather was forecast for his route of flight. The initial portion of the flight was uneventful. However, when the pilot entered a mountain pass area at his cruise altitude of 500 feet above ground level, the winds became very strong and he experienced severe turbulence. The pilot further reported that he attempted to turn into the wind for the purpose of making an emergency landing. While maneuvering he lost control of the helicopter and collided with the mountainous terrain at an elevation of about 3,000 feet mean sea level.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N40433
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1639
- Airframe hours
- 1,707
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2D, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Csr Aviation
- Registered owner
- Csr Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 9, 1992 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- LGB · Long Beach, 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
- 58
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 600 total · 90 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 20 knots, gusting 30
- Visibility
- 5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.