- Date
- May 5, 1993, 16:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Davis, CA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N80156Robinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 18, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930505012469A
- Case key
- 27968
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 follow a safety tip in the pilot's operating handbook to never make a downwind takeoff, his failure to maintain rotor RPM, and his improper use of the helicopter flight controls. A factor which contributed to the accident was the tailwind.
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 departed from the confined area landing zone downwind. During the initial climb the helicopter lost translational lift. The pilot added more collective and increased the throttle to maximum RPM, but without success, and the rotor RPM began to decay. The helicopter's left skid contacted the tomato bed while moving forward and in a right yawing turn, and the helicpter rolled over. The R-22 pilot's operating hanbook states 'never make take-offs or landings downwind...the resulting loss of translational lift can cause the aircraft to settle into ground obstacles.' In addition, the manufacturer issued safety notice RSN-4 which states, in part, 'power is directly proportional to RPM. If you raise the collective to stop the ship from settling, you will pull the RPM down even lower and settle even faster.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80156
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0993
- Airframe hours
- 1,614
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Todd L. Hudson, doing business as Aero Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Tom Layman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 30, 1993 · 46 hours before
- Departed
- APC · Napa, 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
- 25
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 777 total · 700 in this make and model · 731 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 14 knots
- Visibility
- 40 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SMF, 14 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.