- Date
- September 14, 1992, 15:10 local (22:10 UTC)
- Place
- Ojai, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4079SRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 26, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920914036629A
- Case key
- 27763
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 adequate main rotor RPM to cushion the landing. Contributing to the accident was the loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the existing high density altitude.
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
A Robinson R22 landed hard after sustaining a total loss of engine power during a practice autorotation to an open field. The pilot elected to practice an autorotation while flying at 5000 feet mean sea level or about 800 feet above ground level. The temperature at the time was reported to be about 70 degrees fahrenheit. The density altitude was computed to be in excess of 6,500 feet. After applying the carburetor heat and lowering the collective, the engine oil pressure dropped and the engine ceased to run. The helicopter landed hard. The engine was operated normally throughout its operational parameters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4079S
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1784
- Airframe hours
- 1,072
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Giffoni, Kim
- Registered owner
- Giffoni, Kim
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 1992 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- OXR · Oxnard, CA
- Destination
- OXR
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 295 total · 285 in this make and model · 199 as pilot in command · 27 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 20 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.