Robinson R22 BETA N4081H
23 May 2014 · Santa Paula, California, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 May 2014 at about 17:30 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N4081H, operated by Channel Islands Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Santa Paula, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Santa Paula, California, United States
- Nearest airport
- Santa Paula (SZP)
- Coordinates
- 34.3269, -119.0800
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N4081H
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1991
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Channel Islands Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Oxnard → Oxnard
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR14FA203
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines while flying at a low altitude.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A witness who lived near the accident site saw the helicopter flying in a northeasterly direction paralleling her property. The helicopter was below the tree line on the opposite side of the riverbed and was descending. The witness stated that the helicopter sounded normal but was unusually loud because it was so close. Shortly after losing sight of the helicopter, she heard two loud "pops." Examination of the accident site revealed that the helicopter struck three unmarked overhead distribution power lines about 80 ft above ground level while traveling in a northeasterly direction. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the pilot did not see the power lines as he was flying along the river at low altitude. It was unknown why the pilot was flying at such a low altitude.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Mar 2014 | Robinson R22 BETA | Borroloola, Australia, Australia | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Nov 2014 | Robinson R22 BETA | Prescott, Arizona, United States | Guidance Academy, LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 May 2014 | Robinson R22 BETA | Frederick, Maryland, United States | Advanced Helicopter Concepts Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 2014 | Robinson R22-BETA | Amaga, Colombia | Halcones Aviation Flight School | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2014 | Robinson R22 BETA | Long Beach, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 18 Feb 2014 | Robinson R22-BETA | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Nacional Escola de Pilotagem Ltda | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 2014 | Scaled Composites 339 | Koehn Dry Lake, California, United States | Scaled Composites LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 7 Jun 2014 | Cessna 180H | Hesperia, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Sep 2014 | Eurocopter AS 350 B3 | Lincoln, California, United States | California Highway Patrol | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 2014 | McDonnell Douglas 600N | Adelanto, California, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2014 | Air Tractor AT 502B | Princeton, California, United States | Michaud Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 27 Apr 2014 | Cessna 210E | Richmond, California, United States | Sanders Aircraft Inc | Fatal | 1 |