Robinson R-22 N9071T
7 June 1999 · Salem, Missouri, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 7 June 1999 at about 23:30 local time, a Robinson R-22 registered N9071T was involved in an accident near Salem, Missouri, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. 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 23:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Salem, Missouri, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.6306, -91.5309
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22
- Registration
- N9071T
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI99LA178
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
the engine quit due to water contamination of the fuel and the pilot's inadequate preflight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that after preflighting the helicopter he hovered the helicopter to a location where he 'hot fueled' out of a fuel service tank that was in the flatbed of a pickup. The pilot remained at the controls while the hot refueling occurred. The pilot did not check for fuel contamination after the helicopter was hot refueled with 8 to 10 gallons of fuel. He reported taking off to relocate the helicopter to the field where agricultural spraying operations were to be conducted. He flew about 1/2 mile and was about 100 feet agl traveling at 50 knots when the helicopter yawed to the left and the low RPM light illuminated. The engine quit and he entered an autorotation. He pulled some collective to avoid a tree. He reported that he completed the autorotation, but the helicopter was in a high rate of descent with very little blade inertia when he impacted the ground. An inspection of the helicopter revealed that the fuel sump, carburetor, and adjacent fuel lines were contaminated with water. A fuel sample was taken from the bottom of the fuel service tank located on the back of the pickup, and it was contaminated with water.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R-22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Oct 1999 | Robinson R-22-MARINER | West Boca Raton, Florida, United States | Volar Helicopters, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Azusa, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Apr 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | Chena River Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Port Jefferson, New York, United States | Helicopter Flight Training Inc | No injuries | - |
| 15 Feb 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Seattle, Washington, United States | Classic Helicopter Corp. | Minor injuries | - |
| 23 Jun 1999 | Robinson R-22 | Hurricane, West Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 1999 | Bell 206L | Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 1999 | Cessna 177RG | Weldon Springs, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Sep 1999 | Cessna 172H | Plattsburg, Missouri, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Jul 1999 | Piper PA-28-180 | Butler, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Dec 1999 | Beechcraft BE-35 | Mokane, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 1999 | Cessna U-206G | Salem, Missouri, United States | EFT Aviation Services, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |