Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Private Helipad Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Las Vegas, Nevada 89124
Tuesady, June 2, 1992 14:00 PDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
ACCORDING TO STATEMENTS FROM THE PILOT AND TWO GROUND WITNESSES, THE HELICOPTER WAS DEPARTING FROM A PRIVATE HELIPAD AND DURING THE TAKEOFF INITIAL CLIMB A SUDDEN 30 KNOT TAIL WIND WAS ENCOUNTERED. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SETTLE AND THE PILOT HAD TO USE THE REMAINING COLLECTIVE ENERGY TO BALLOON OVER A SET OF POWER LINES. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED HARD AND ROLLED OVER. THE HELIPAD IS SURROUNDED ON THREE SIDES BY TALL TREES AND BUILDINGS, AND, TAKEOFFS MUST BE MADE TO THE EAST. BEFORE THE TAKEOFF BEGAN, THE PILOT SAID THE WINDS WERE FROM THE EAST AT ABOUT 5 KNOTS. DURING THE INITIAL CLIMB THE WINDS SHIFTED FROM A HEAD WIND TO A TAIL WIND AND A 30 KNOT GUST AROSE. THE PILOT SUSPECTED THAT A MICROBURST HAD OCCURRED. TWO GROUND WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER LIFTED OFF WITH A LIGHT HEAD WIND AND AS IT BEGAN TO CLIMB A VERY STRONG GUST OF WIND CAME FROM BEHIND THE HELICOPTER.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
THE PILOT'S ENCOUNTER WITH A SUDDEN AND STRONG TAIL WIND COMPONENT DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLIGHT WHICH WAS BEYOND THE CAPABILITY OF THE HELICOPTER. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS THE CONFINED NATURE OF THE HELIPAD WITH HIGH OBSTACLES AND POWER LINES.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 6/2/1992 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1400 |
| Event Time Zone | Pacific Daylight Time |
| Event City | LAS VEGAS |
| Event State | NEVADA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 89124 |
| Event Date Year | 1992 |
| Event Date Month | 6 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | PRIVATE HELIPAD |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Pilot |
| Time of the weather observation | 0 |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 0 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 10000 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Scattered |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 50 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 10 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 0 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Variable |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 5 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 30 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 29 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 1 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 3037 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | Jun 2 1992 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 1515 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 46629 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 11 2000 3:00PM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N2301C |
| NTSB Number | LAX92LA229 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROBINSON |
| Aircraft Model | R-22B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R-22B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1926 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1670 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 14 1992 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 27 |
| Airframe Hours | 1014 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | HELICOPTER SERVICES OF NEVADA |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 135 E. RENO AVENUE |
| Aircraft Owner City | LAS VEGAS |
| Aircraft Owner State | NV |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 89119 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | FREDRICK G. CLEEVES |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | HCR 32 #3135 |
| Operator City | LAS VEGAS |
| Operator State | NV |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 89124 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | Unknown |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | NONE |
| Departure City | |
| Departure State | |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1400 |
| Departure Time Zone | PDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | |
| Destination City | |
| Destination State | |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Takeoff |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 2 2001 10:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 0 |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |