Robinson R22 BETA II N206TV
6 November 2003 · Torrance, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 6 November 2003 at about 23:28 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA II registered N206TV, operated by Pacific Coast Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Torrance, California, United States. 3 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:28
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Torrance, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Zamperini Field (TOA)
- Coordinates
- 33.8075, -118.3578
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA II
- Registration
- N206TV
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Pacific Coast Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Torrance → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- LAX04FA037
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the student pilot in the R22's failure to comply with an ATC clearance.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A Robinson R22 Beta II and a Robinson R44 collided in midair while in the traffic pattern. The R22 pilot did not broadcast that he was a student pilot, and the controller did not think that the R22 pilot was a student pilot based on the quality of his radio transmissions. The R22 pilot had been practicing at a helipad north of runway 29R, and was returning to his parking area on the ramp south of runway 29L. The R44 pilot was departing from runway 29L on a touch-and-go. The R22 was above the R44, and descending to the southwest while the R44 was climbing straight ahead on runway 29L at the time of the collision. A tower controller instructed the R22 pilot to hold when he requested to go from the helipad to parking. After traffic passed, the controller advised him that he could proceed in right traffic flying a downwind traffic pattern for runway 29R to the helipad. The R22 pilot requested takeoff to land at his parking area. The controller instructed him to fly westbound. A few seconds later, the controller cleared the R44 pilot for the touch-and-go option on runway 29L, and in the same transmission cleared the R22 pilot to make a right turn to the downwind on runway 29R. About 45 seconds later, the controller informed the R22 pilot that he could expect a clearance to cross midfield when the controller got a chance. About 20 seconds later, the controller instructed the R22 pilot to turn right. About 30 seconds after that, he cleared the R22 pilot to land on runway 29R; the R22 pilot acknowledged about 5 seconds later with his call sign. The controller immediately transmitted for him to turn right, and cleared him to land on runway 29R. There was no further communication from the R22 pilot. The R22 was still in a position to turn and land on runway 29R. It began a right turn, but then instead of landing on the runway, it crossed 29R and continued descending toward 29L at a continuously reducing angle. The controller had looked away to work other traffic. As he turned to inform the R44 of the R22 landing on the parallel runway, he observed the collision. Reconstruction of the collision geometry placed the R22 above and slightly forward of the R44, and on a similar track. Based on a visibility study, once the R22 pilot turned toward his pad while he was north of runway 29R, he was not in a position to see the R44. During the takeoff, the R44 pilot was not in a position to see the R22 prior to impact.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robinson R22 BETA II | N206TV | Pacific Coast Helicopters | Destroyed |
| Robinson R44 | N442RH | - | Destroyed |
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Aug 2003 | Robinson R22 BETA | Ozona, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2003 | Robinson R22 BETA | Houston, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Sep 2003 | Robinson R22 | Derby, Australia | Helimuster, Ltd. | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Nov 2003 | Robinson R22 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Quantum Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2003 | Robinson R22-BETA | Flint, Michigan, United States | Morton Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2003 | Robinson R22 BETA | Tulalip, Washington, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jan 2003 | Cessna 414 | Palm Springs, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 2003 | Omf OMF-100-160 | Van Nuys, California, United States | Alliance International | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Jan 2003 | Cessna 152 | Salinas, California, United States | Squadron 2 | No injuries | - |
| 17 Nov 2003 | Beechcraft A36TC | Visalia, California, United States | John Rodgers | Minor injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2003 | Cessna 150F | Reedley, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Sep 2003 | McClanahan STITS PLAYMATE SA-11 | Fontana, California, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |