Robinson R22 BETA N1225D

Summary

On 15 December 2003 at about 17:58 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N1225D, operated by Supersonic Aviation Inc., was involved in an accident near Redlands, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

15 December 2003 at 17:58

Classification

Accident

Location

Redlands, California, United States

Nearest airport

San Bernardino International (SBD)

Coordinates

34.0703, -117.2328

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N1225D

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Supersonic Aviation Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

San Bernardino → Murrieta

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX04FA067

1 person died.

a loss of engine power due to the pilot inadvertently turning off the magnetos and his failure to initiate an autorotation and to maintain main rotor rpm. A factor in the accident was the pilot's use of an over-the-counter medication that impaired his judgment and/or performance.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter crashed vertically in a city street during an autorotation following a loss of engine power. The pilot was on his second logged flight since obtaining his rotorcraft rating and was on a solo cross-country flight when witnesses reported hearing the engine miss-fire and then quit. The witnesses saw the helicopter's main rotor blades coning up and then stop rotation completely. The helicopter fell straight down to a city street below. The magneto switch was found in the off position with no sign of impact damage to the switch or key. An evaluation of the crash dynamics, the force vectors involved, and the structural deformation of the helicopter could not explain the magneto switch position. Witnesses to the accident said the magneto switch was not turned off by anyone after the accident. Examination of the engine and helicopter systems found no anomalies that would have prevented their normal operation. The engine roughness heard by the witnesses coupled with the magneto switch position may indicate that the pilot was attempting to diagnose an engine roughness by selectively turning off one magneto at a time and in the process, he may have inadvertently selected the both off position. The pilot was in the right seat and manipulation of the magneto switch would have required him to take his hand off the collective, which could have resulted in a delay in reacting to the loss of engine power. Toxicology reports on the pilot showed that chlorpheniramine was detected in blood at a level several times higher than the level expected with a typical maximum single over-the-counter dose of the medication. Chlorpheniramine is an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine commonly used for cold and allergy symptoms and is present in many over-the-counter multisymptom preparations. In typical doses, the medication has measurable adverse effects on performance of complex cognitive and motor tasks. It is likely that the pilot's performance and judgment were impaired by chlorpheniramine. The Federal Aviation Administration instructs Aviation Medical Examiners that, "any airman who is undergoing continuous treatment with... sedating antihistaminic...drugs... must be deferred certification..."

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.