- Date
- April 21, 1982, 14:40 local (19:40 UTC)
- Place
- Vero Beach, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N9033BRobinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 21, 1983
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19820421010479A
- Case key
- 72925
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
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 helicopter was air taxied to the fuel pump for refueling. The aircrew remained in the helicopter while the lineman serviced the fuel tank. After refueling and starting the engine, the instructor was at the controls while in close proximity of the pumps. He reported hearing a "thud" when the helicopter had moved about 10 feet from the pumps and thought something had jammed. The pilots thought they had experienced some malfunction of the flight control system. They reported that the helicopter gyrated left and right before crashing after the main rotor blades struck the ground. An investigation revealed that during refueling operations, a ground wire was normally clipped to a tab on the landing skid. The principal executive officer for the flight school believed that the ground wire may not have been removed. However, the lineman was positive he had removed the ground wire, and a witness stated no wire was attached. No preimpact failure was found.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9033B
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0053
- Airframe hours
- 212
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pro-Flite Of Vero, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Pro-Flite Of Vero, Inc.
- Departed
- VRB · Vero Beach, FL
- Destination
- VRB · Vero Beach, FL
- Airport
- VRB · Vero Beach Municipal
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
- 34
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 98 in this make and model · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 9 statute miles
- Temperature
- 190 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- VRB
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 N9033B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.