- Date
- October 7, 1993, 15:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Marysville, WA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8072VRobinson R-22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 1, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19931007037849A
- Case key
- 41836
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 student pilot's failure to maintain altitude.
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 recently certificated fixed wing, single engine land private pilot was on an instructional flight in a Robinson R-22B helicopter building time towards his rotorcraft rating. He intended to practice 'quick stop' manuevers during this solo flight. During the first maneuver he allowed the helicopter to descend and the tail boom/rotor assembly contacted the terrain resulting in a rollover.
Factual narrative
On October 7, 1994, at approximately 1545 hours Pacific daylight time (PDT), a Robinson R-22B helicopter, N8072V, registered to Puget Sound Helicopters, Inc., operated by Puget Sound Flight Center, and being flown by Ono Makato, a recently certificated private pilot, was destroyed when the tail boom/rotor assembly struck terrain while maneuvering close to the ground. The pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions existed at the time and a company flight plan was in effect. The flight, which was an instructional solo, was to have been operated in accordance with the requirements set forth in 14CFR91, and departed Everett, Washington, at approximately 1430 hours.
The pilot, who had just received his private airplane single engine land certification and was in training for his rotorcraft rating, reported having a total of 59 hours flight time in the R- 22 out of a total of 139 hours.
The pilot reported that he had arrived in a wetlands area to practice "quick stop" maneuvers at approximately 1540 hours. He then accelerated from a hover, turned to avoid an obstacle, and initiated his first quick stop maneuver by "lowering collective and using aft cyclic (flare)."
The pilot stated that "when the helicopter started to sink I heard a noise, possibly coming from striking the tail on the ground."
The helicopter then began a clockwise rotation, settled into the water and rolled over.
The pilot recommended that he "fly the maneuver at (a) higher altitude to avoid striking the tail on the ground" as corrective action.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8072V
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1313
- Airframe hours
- 3,535
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Puget Sound Flight Center
- Registered owner
- Puget Sound Helicopters, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · September 20, 1993 · 64 hours before
- Departed
- PAE · Everett, WA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
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
- 19
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 139 total · 59 in this make and model · 45 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 330° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 59 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- PAE, 8 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.