- Date
- October 19, 1989, 07:20 local (11:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bethpage, NY
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8024WRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report July 22, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891019043869A
- Case key
- 36572
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 improper handling of the helicopter during a power off autorotation resulting in a hard landing and a main rotor blade severing the tailboom. Contributing to the accident were a gusty wind and the pilot's improper operation of powerplant and powerplant controls in conditions conducive to carburetor ice.
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 traveling westbound on a traffic reporting flight when the engine stopped. The pilot immediately entered an autorotation. He tried to restart the engine twice with no success and landed downwind on the south service road of the long island expressway. This was the best place to land without causing injury to people or damage to property on the ground. The temperature was 48 degrees and there was light rain. On October 26, 1989, the engine was started and it ran without any discrepancies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8024W
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1047
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- American Helicopters Corp.
- Departed
- ISP · Islip, NY
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
- 32
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 3,462 total · 630 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 50° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,100 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °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.
Other investigations on N8024W · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.