- Date
- September 13, 1992, 16:00 local (23:00 UTC)
- Place
- Colfax, CA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N649MBRobinson R-22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920913036639A
- Case key
- 27762
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 poor in-flight decision to fly at a low altitude and his inadequate visual look-out. The cable (static wire) contributed to this accident.
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 certificated commercial pilot and passenger were flying about 150 feet above the ground in a canyon. The pilot failed to see and avoid a steel cable traversing the helicopter's flight path. The helicopter struck the cable and crashed into a river.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N649MB
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0649
- Airframe hours
- 4,128
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sacramento Exec Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Sacramento Exec Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 5, 1991 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- AUN · Auburn, CA
- Destination
- Q61 · Georgetown, 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
- 24
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 492 total · 484 in this make and model · 452 as pilot in command · 248 in the last 90 days · 71 in the last 30 days · 6 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N649MB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.