- Date
- July 30, 1989, 17:00 local (Jul 31, 1989, 00:00 UTC)
- Place
- Brinnon, WA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N933CBRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890730029979A
- Case key
- 41057
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 inadequate in-flight planning. The helicopter skid contacted the water as a result of the pilot's misjudgement of clearance above the water.
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
During a pleasure flight, the pilot felt a low frequency vibration and opted to initiate a precautionary landing. Due to unsuitable terrain, the pilot continued the flight over glassy water to land on a beach area. The pilot misjudged the distance above the water resulting in the left skid contacting the water first. The pilot stated that the engine stalled and stopped and the helicopter settled softly in the water and sank. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N933CB
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1083
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Brown, Charlie L.H.
- Departed
- Fox Island, WA
- Destination
- Hamma Hamma, WA
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 43
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Flight hours
- 246 total · 103 in this make and model · 191 as pilot in command · 85 in the last 90 days · 58 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- 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 N933CB · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.