- Date
- March 31, 1991, 15:02 local (23:02 UTC)
- Place
- Seattle, WA
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N2631VRobinson R-22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 8, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910331007869A
- Case key
- 41311
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 loss of control in flight by the pilot due to his improper preflight preparation in failing to secure cargo which shifted in flight and interfered with the movement of the cyclic control stick.
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 acft was on VFR final appr at 100 ft AGL when it rolled over, descended uncontrolled, and impacted the roof of a whse. The impact broke a skylight in the roof and the acft fell through the hole, coming to rest inside the whse. Rocks, hand tools, and a large unsecured tree stump were in the acft cabin. The stump had a fresh scar and black paint smears adjacent to the cyclic control stick. A screw head in the black cyclic stick was filled with wood splinters.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2631V
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0776
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Classic Helicopter Corp.
- Registered owner
- Classic Helicopter Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NONE · Snoqualmie, WA
- Destination
- BFI · Seattle, WA
- Airport
- BFI · Boeing Field
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
- 37
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 9,743 total · 7,661 in this make and model · 9,424 as pilot in command · 211 in the last 90 days · 66 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.