- Date
- March 6, 1992, 16:15 local (Mar 7, 1992, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Oxbow, OR
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2645WRobinson R-22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920306005269A
- Case key
- 41637
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 a proper visual lookout. A factor in the accident was the pilot's poor judgement in operating at low altitude along the river.
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 Robinson R22 beta was on the 3rd leg of a cross country ferry flight from Oregon to the east coast. The multi rated, high time pilot had departed lewiston, Idaho, and proceeded to fly down the snake river canyon en route to boise, Idaho. While cruising southbound down the river gorge, the helicopter's tailrotor collided with a cable spanning the river at an elevation of 50 to 60 feet above the water. The rotorcraft was then observed to spin out of control, impact the river and sink.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2645W
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0798
- Airframe hours
- 1,997
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Ferry · Part 91
- Operator
- Helicolor, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Helicolor, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 17, 1992 · 14 hours before
- Departed
- LWS · Lewiston, ID
- Destination
- BOI · Boise, ID
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
- 48
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine sea
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 5 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.