ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 39414
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| Date: | Friday 26 March 1999 |
| Time: | 12:41 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Helicopter Services Inc |
| Registration: | N2323V |
| MSN: | 2100 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1992 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1832 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-B2C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Houston, TX -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | David Wayne Hooks Memorial Airport, TX (KDWH) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On March 26, 1999, at 1241 central standard time, a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, N2323V, was destroyed when it impacted terrain during an uncontrolled descent while maneuvering near Houston, Texas. The commercial pilot and his passenger were fatally injured. The helicopter was registered to a private individual and operated by Helicopter Services, Inc., of Spring, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a company VFR flight plan was filed for the local photo flight operated under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The flight originated from the David Wayne Hooks Airport, Houston, Texas, at 1010, and made a stop at the CBD Heliport, Houston, Texas, between 1150 and 1220.
The pilot lost control of the helicopter while maneuvering during an aerial photography flight. Witnesses stated that the helicopter flew from the west and then made a left turn (when viewed from below). The helicopter then started to spin 'out of control' about its vertical axis. The helicopter was described as pitching nose down and even inverted in some accounts. The witnesses stated that the main rotor blades stopped, and the helicopter 'fell out of the sky.' No pre-accident anomalies with the helicopter were noted during the wreckage examination. Toxicology tests revealed levels of 0.117 ug/mL of Propoxyphene (a prescription narcotic painkiller), 0.589 ug/mL of Norpropoxyphene (a metabolite of propxyphene), and 8 ug/mL of Acetaminophen in the pilot's blood. The level of propoxyphene and acetaminophen suggests a normal dose within the previous 6 hours. The level of norpropoxyphene found suggests that another dose of medication may have been used within the previous 24 hours. The use of propoxyphene during flight is contraindicated due to its depressant effects on the central nervous system.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while maneuvering. A factor was the pilot's impairment due to his use of a prescription narcotic.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001205X00318&key=1
FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=2323V
Images:
Photos: NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 23-Sep-2016 17:57 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 26-Nov-2017 10:54 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Oct-2022 08:25 | Captain Adam | Updated [Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Accident report, Photo] |
| 13-Oct-2022 08:25 | Captain Adam | Updated [Photo] |
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