- Date
- August 30, 1991, 14:50 local (18:50 UTC)
- Place
- Lake City, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4022DRobinson R-22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 10, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Case key
- 32764
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 a visual lookout due to his diverted attention to observe and enter the location of an illegal marijuana patch into the on board loran unit.
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 law enforcement officer flying an administrative flight in the helicopter struck an antenna guy wire and crashed. Examination of the on board loran revealed recently entered coordinates near the accident scene that when investigated revealed an illegal marijuana field to be present. Interviews with fellow workers revealed that the pilot routinely conducted search missions even while on an administrative flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4022D
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1431
- Airframe hours
- 792
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Public use
- Operator
- State Of Florida
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 8, 1991 · 88 hours before
- Destination
- TLH · Tallahassee, 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
- 45
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,601 total · 1,200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- GNV, 23 nm away