- Date
- June 14, 1986, 18:35 local (22:35 UTC)
- Place
- Lk Buena Vista, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8400CRobinson R22 HP
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19860614024149A
- Case key
- 31502
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
Motorists obsd the helicopter flying low ovr & along an interstate hiway. In the vicinity of a hiway rest area, the helicopter maneuvered to the side of the hiway, then flew back ovr the median. Two witnesses said it came to a hover, then started to continue along the roadway. Subsequently, it hit a pwr line that crossed ovr the hiway & crashed onto the median after traveling another 426 ft. after impacting the median, the helicopter traveled another 57 ft before coming to rest. The acdnt occurred in the vicinity of where the plt's wife & a friend of the passenger were traveling by auto. The plt & his wife denied knowing each other were in the vicinity; altho, both were returning from the same recreational activity. The plt stated that he was attempting a precautionary landing at the rest area due to bad wx. An investigation revealed that drg the acdnt, the rotor of the helicopter hit the pwr line about 28 ft AGL. A witness said that light rain was falling when the acdnt occurred.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8400C
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 HP
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0346
- Airframe hours
- 1,039
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- James L. Kennedy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · May 3, 1986 · 40 hours before
- Departed
- Lake Wales, FL
- Destination
- ORL · Orlando, FL
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
- 35
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4,460 total · 60 in this make and model · 3,405 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 55 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 170° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,200 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MCO, 9 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.