Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Phoenix, Arizona 85208
Friday, July 5, 1991 16:39 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
WITNESSES REPORTED OBSERVING THE R22 IN CRUISE FLIGHT BETWEEN 300 & 500 FT AGL WHEN THEY HEARD A LOUD BANG & OBSERVED PIECES FALLING FROM THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER CRASHED INTO A RESIDENCE & INITIATED A FIRE THAT GUTTED THE INTERIOR OF THE RESIDENCE & DESTROYED THE HELICOPTER WRECKAGE. PIECES OF THE LEFT SKID, WINDSCREEN BUBBLE & THE LEFT DOOR WERE LOCATED 1400 FT FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF PREIMPACT MALFUNCTION OR MECHANICAL FAILURE. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, WHO HAD ACCUMULATED 500 HRS IN THE R22 AND WAS CRUISING TO WORK TO PERFORM HIS AERIAL TRAFFIC WATCH REPORTING DUTIES, WAS FATALLY INJURED. REMNANTS OF MODEL ROCKETS WERE LOCATED IN A VACANT LOT NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE MODEL ROCKETS WERE CHEMICALLY EXAMINED TO DETERMINE IF A SMUDGE ON THE HELICOPTER WINDSCREEN MATCHED THE RED SURFACE OF THE ROCKETS. THE SMUDGE DID NOT MATCH THE MATERIAL OF THE ROCKETS.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
A DIVERGENCE OF THE MAIN ROTOR FROM ITS NORMAL PLANE OF ROTATION FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, WHICH RESULTED IN ROTOR CONTACT TO THE COCKPIT.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 7/5/1991 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1639 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | PHOENIX |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 85208 |
| Event Date Year | 1991 |
| Event Date Month | 7 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | |
| Event Location Longitude | |
| Event Location Airport | |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | 0 |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | Unknown |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1656 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 50 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | SDL |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 1508 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 6 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 0 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 15000 |
| 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) | 40 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | -- |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 260 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 8 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Unknown |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 1949 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 45882 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Dec 12 2000 10:32AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N23039 |
| NTSB Number | LAX91FA288 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | Ground |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | ROBINSON |
| Aircraft Model | R-22B |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | R-22B |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 1846 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| 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 | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Jan 2 2000 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SKYVIEW TRAFFIC WATCH |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 14605 N. AIRPORT DRIVE |
| Aircraft Owner City | SCOTTSDALE |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 85260 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | SKYVIEW TRAFFIC WATCH |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | 14605 N. AIRPORT DRIVE |
| Operator City | SCOTTSDALE |
| Operator State | AZ |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 85260 |
| 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) | Aerial Observation |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | SDL |
| Departure City | SCOTTSDALE |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1631 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| 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 | Cruise |
| 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 | -- |