ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 200564
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| Date: | Tuesday 24 October 2017 |
| Time: | 13:15 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Alpha |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N8537J |
| MSN: | 0441 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1984 |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O320-B2C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | King Lake, Arlington, WA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Arlington, WA (NA) |
| Arlington, WA (NA) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The commercial pilot and passenger departed in the helicopter from the pilot's residence near a lake. Two witnesses who lived near the accident site saw the helicopter flying fast over the trees from the south side of the lake to the north. One of the witnesses reported that the helicopter "swooped" down over the lake and flew over the water past their house. Shortly thereafter, the helicopter's skids touched the water and the helicopter impacted the lake.
The passenger reported that the pilot descended close to the water and hovered while the passenger took pictures. The helicopter subsequently dipped to the right, followed by the main blades hitting the water; the helicopter descended into the lake and rolled onto its right side before beginning to sink.
The helicopter sank in about 31 ft of water subsequent to impact. 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 misjudged the helicopter's height above the water while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in impact with the water.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the water while maneuvering at low altitude.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=N8537J
Location
Images:
Photo(c): NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Oct-2017 18:49 | gerard57 | Added |
| 25-Oct-2017 20:15 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Total fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative, Photo, ] |
| 25-Oct-2017 23:27 | Geno | Updated [Source] |
| 26-Oct-2017 10:22 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Oct-2017 18:41 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 06-Nov-2017 16:58 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Phase, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 12-Aug-2018 19:33 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
| 11-Nov-2019 17:40 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 06-Mar-2022 23:54 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Category, Photo] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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