- Date
- April 27, 1993, 19:50 local (23:50 UTC)
- Place
- Murraysville, PA
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N2618ZRobinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 3, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930427010939A
- Case key
- 37318
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain rotor RPM, which resulted in a hard landing and rollover. A factor related to the accident was the pilot's lack of total helicopter experience.
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 newly certificated private pilot (rotorcraft) was making an off airport high approach to a pinnacle when he experienced low rotor RPM twice. The first time he was able to recover RPM, however, he was unable to recover RPM the second time, and made a hard landing and rolled over. Examination of the powerplant and drive system by an FAA airworthiness inspector, 'found no reason why they should not function normally.'
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2618Z
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0721
- Airframe hours
- 3,861
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Airburst Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Airburst Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 3, 1993 · 39 hours before
- Departed
- AGC · West Mifflin, PA
- Destination
- AGC
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
- 39
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 358 total · 43 in this make and model · 234 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 57 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC, 14 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.