- Date
- June 26, 1993, 16:30 local (23:30 UTC)
- Place
- Snohomish, WA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N80686Robinson R-22
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 17, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930626020679A
- Case key
- 41722
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 misjudged the landing flare.
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 during the practice autorotation maneuver, he misjudged the distance to flare and the tail rotor contacted the ground. The pilot tried to level the helicopter; however, it began to spin and he was unable to maintain control. The helicopter landed in the open field and rolled over.
Factual narrative
On June 26, 1993, at 1630 hours Pacific daylight time, the pilot of a Robinson R 22, N80686, was practicing autorotations near Snohomish, Washington, and collided with the terrain. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed for the local flight. The helicopter was substantially damaged and the certificated private pilot was not injured.
During a telephone interview and subsequent written statement, the pilot reported that during the practice autorotation maneuver, he flared the helicopter too late and the tail rotor contacted the ground. The pilot tried to level the helicopter, however, it began to spin and he was unable to maintain control. The helicopter landed in the open field and rolled over.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N80686
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1280
- Airframe hours
- 1,107
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 124 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Hickman, Tyrone A.
- Registered owner
- Hickman, Tyrone A.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 1993 · 6 hours before
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 393 total · 371 in this make and model · 371 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 63 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.