- Date
- August 9, 1990, 15:00 local (22:00 UTC)
- Place
- Ellensburg, WA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Uncontrolled descent
- Aircraft
- N9072NRobinson R22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 9, 1992
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19900809031869A
- Case key
- 41259
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 did not adequately level off the helicopter and collided with the terrain.
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 local pleasure flight, the pilot made a low pass over a corn field. At the end of the field, the pilot began a climb to 200 feet AGL then a right 180 degree turn. Approximately three quarters of the way through the turn, the pilot realized that the helicopter was losing too much altitude. The helicopter was leveled, however, the right skid collided with the terrain and the helicopter rolled over. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9072N
- Reported as
- Robinson R22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0211
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Skybal Inc.
- Registered owner
- Unknown
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
- 31
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 94 total · 85 in this make and model · 59 as pilot in command · 19 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 30 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 N9072N · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.