Robinson R22 Beta II accident near Wilmington, NC
On March 13, 2008, a Robinson R22 Beta II (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Wilmington, NC. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 13, 2008
- Place
- Wilmington, NC
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 Beta II · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 34.125°N, 77.898°W
- NTSB ID
- 20080321X00357
Official records · NYC08FA134
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 13, 2008, at 0940 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta II, N2215R, was substantially damaged during a forced landing in Wilmington, North Carolina. The certificated commercial pilot was fatally injured. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the local flight which departed Wilmington International Airport (ILM), Wilmington, North Carolina. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. According to airport personnel, the pilot was planning to fly south in order to take aerial photographs of a business and then proceed to another location to pick up a student for a training lesson. A witness, located about 1/2 mile from the accident scene, observed the helicopter when it passed overhead, and noted that "the engine was spitting and sputtering." The witness also noted that the helicopter appeared to be "about 50 feet above the pine trees," which were estimated to be 150 feet in height. Another witness stated that the helicopter appeared to be "just above the top of a billboard sign" when she first noticed it. She stated that she "saw parts shedding to the south then [it] started to reverse direction." The witness then lost sight of the helicopter behind the roof of a building and observed smoke. According to another witness, he saw the helicopter as "parts began to fall off," it impacted the ground, then "blew up into flames." There was no radar track of the helicopter, and no onboard recording devices were located. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain proper rotor rpm after a partial loss of engine power.
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Browse: North Carolina · Robinson aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
