Robinson R22 N8358B

Summary

On 6 October 1982 at about 17:08 local time, a Robinson R22 registered N8358B, operated by Thomas Anthony Ballas, was involved in an accident near Santa Ana, California, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was destroyed. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

6 October 1982 at 17:08

Classification

Accident

Location

Santa Ana, California, United States

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Robinson R22

Registration

N8358B

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Thomas Anthony Ballas

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Santa Ana → Ontario

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX83FUA01

1 person died.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE COMMERCIAL PLT WAS RATED IN FIXED WING ACFT, BUT IN THE HELICOPTER, HAD STUDENT PRIVILEGES ONLY. HE HAD OBTAINED APRX 37 HRS OF DUAL INSTRUCTION & 3 HRS OF SOLO TIME IN THE ROBINSON R22 HELICOPTER; HOWEVER, 1.3 HRS OF HIS SOLO TIME WAS LIMITED TO HOVER FLT ONLY. HE WAS NOT ENDORSED FOR UNSUPERVISED SOLO ON 10/6/82. HE TOOK OFF ON THE X-COUNTRY FLT TO COMMUTE TO HIS PLACE OF BUSINESS. WHILE EN ROUTE, THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED FLYING LOW & FAST WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE COCKPIT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE HELICOPTER WAS FLYING IN LEVEL FLT & THE ENG WAS RUNNING "FLAT OUT" UNTIL THE MAIN ROTOR SYS SEPARATED. THE HELICOPTER THEN ENTERED A STEEP DIVE, CRASHED & BURNED. EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THAT MAST BUMPING & SEVERANCE OF THE MAIN ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT HAD OCCURRED. THE EXAM FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY FAILURE, MALFUNCTION OR ABNORMALITY PRIOR TO THE MAIN ROTOR SEPARATION.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.