- Date
- June 30, 1989, 11:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Southampton, MA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8462SRobinson R-22A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 24, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890630019169A
- Case key
- 36414
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
Improper maintenance which resulted in a section of the vertical stabilizer failing inflight.
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 said he heard a noise and then the nose of the helicopter yawed to the right. Witnesses said they saw pieces fall from the helicopter as it came down and part of the vertical stabilizer with the tail skid was found half a mile away. The pilot entered autorotation and attempted to keep the skids level. The aircraft went down into the trees, hit the ground and rolled over on its side. An unauthorized repair on the vertical stabilizer failed allowing the piece to hit the tailrotor and caused a loss of directional control.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8462S
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22A
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 379
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- David S. Robinson
- Registered owner
- David Robinson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- Amherst, MA
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 50
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 309 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 50 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.