- Date
- February 7, 1993, 09:20 local (17:20 UTC)
- Place
- Bend, OR
- Injuries
- 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N4085MRobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 19, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930207001829A
- Case key
- 42987
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
Rotor RPM was not maintained. Factors to the accident were: low ceiling and poor inflight planning.
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 pilot reported that at takeoff, the ceiling was 350 feet AGL and visibility was two miles. The flight took off and headed north at an altitude of 250 feet AGL, following a highway. Approximately seven miles into the flight, the ceiling and visibility deteriorated and the pilot initiated a medium bank turn to the left. During the turn, the airspeed declined and the low rotor RPM horn sounded. The pilot lowered the nose and increased collective. Due to the closeness of the trees, the pilot established the best rate of descent and 'milked' the RPM for a landing on the highway. The pilot was unable to execute the proper power off landing procedure and the helicopter landed hard. The skids collapsed and the helicopter rolled onto its left side.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4085M
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1864
- Airframe hours
- 970
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Puget Sound Helicopter
- Registered owner
- Briles Wing & Helicopter
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · February 5, 1993 · 11 hours before
- Departed
- S21 · Sun River, OR
- Destination
- TTD · Troutdale, OR
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
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 492 total · 433 in this make and model · 424 as pilot in command · 131 in the last 90 days · 54 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Lowest ceiling
- 200 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 34 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.