Robinson R22 BETA N2323V

Summary

On 26 March 1999 at about 18:41 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N2323V, operated by Helicopter Services, Inc., was involved in an accident near Houston, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

26 March 1999 at 18:41

Classification

Accident

Location

Houston, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.7509, -95.4692

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N2323V

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Helicopter Services, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Aerial Observation

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Spring → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

FTW99FA100

2 people died.

The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while maneuvering. A factor was the pilot's impairment due to his use of a prescription narcotic.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot lost control of the helicopter while maneuvering during an aerial photography flight. Witnesses stated that the helicopter flew from the west and then made a left turn (when viewed from below). The helicopter then started to spin 'out of control' about its vertical axis. The helicopter was described as pitching nose down and even inverted in some accounts. The witnesses stated that the main rotor blades stopped, and the helicopter 'fell out of the sky.' No pre-accident anomalies with the helicopter were noted during the wreckage examination. Toxicology tests revealed levels of 0.117 ug/mL of Propoxyphene (a prescription narcotic painkiller), 0.589 ug/mL of Norpropoxyphene (a metabolite of propxyphene), and 8 ug/mL of Acetaminophen in the pilot's blood. The level of propoxyphene and acetaminophen suggests a normal dose within the previous 6 hours. The level of norpropoxyphene found suggests that another dose of medication may have been used within the previous 24 hours. The use of propoxyphene during flight is contraindicated due to its depressant effects on the central nervous system.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.