ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 217555
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| Date: | Sunday 22 August 2010 |
| Time: | 18:19 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Astro |
| Owner/operator: | Point Zero Corporation |
| Registration: | N7186Z |
| MSN: | 0737 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2000 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1107 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-F1B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | San Diego Bay, near Coronado Bridge, San Diego, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Private Helipad on Yacht, MY Leight Star, San Diego, California |
| Montgomery Field, San Diego, California (MYF/KMYF) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On August 22, 2010, about 18:19 PDT (Pacific Daylight Time), a Robinson R44 Clipper, N7186Z, made a forced landing in the waters of San Diego Bay, at or near the Coronado Bridge, San Diego, California (at approximate coordinates 32'68.9167"N, 117'15.2778"W). Point Zero Corporation was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The private pilot sustained serious injuries. Harbor police scooped up the lone pilot, who was taken to UCSD Medical Center for injuries he suffered in the crash.
The 69-year-old experienced pilot suffered from cuts, bruises and back pain, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune. The helicopter sustained substantial damage from impact forces. The local personal flight was departing from a yacht, the MY Leight Star, anchored in San Diego Bay. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
The pilot reported that he filled the fuel tank, and then at 15:15 PDT departed from Montgomery Field (MYF), San Diego, to his yacht at the Convention Center Marina. About 18:00 PDT, he prepared for the return trip to MYF. He completed magneto and deicing checks. He planned to fly south over the Coronado Bridge, and contacted the Navy’s North Island air traffic control tower.
The pilot stated that after the helicopter lifted off the yacht, he increased airspeed to 60 knots. As he approached the bridge, the engine lost power. He was above the bridge, but the helicopter would not climb. He heard a screeching sound in his headset. The air speed decreased, the low rotor revolutions per minute horn sounded, and the manifold pressure had increased. He pulled up on the collective, but nothing happened. He began an autorotation, and started turning into the wind. The helicopter was falling rapidly, and he was unable to get headed completely into the wind prior to touchdown. About 100 feet above ground level (agl), he deployed the floats. He pulled the nose up into a flare, and could not tell if the tail boom hit the water first. He did remember releasing the tab on the carburetor heat.
All of the plexiglass shattered, and the pilot went under water. He released the seat belt as he tried to evacuate, and realized that his back was badly hurt. He was sitting on the floating wreckage when first responders arrived within 2 minutes.
A witness was at a restaurant, and seated at a table overlooking the water. She stated that a sputtering sound drew her attention to the helicopter. It banked to her left, and started going down rapidly. She lost sight of it as it went below the tree line. She said that she did not hear the helicopter “warm up” prior to taking off from the yacht.
A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector examined the helicopter after it was retrieved from the water. He observed that the carburetor heat tab had been released; the carburetor heat knob, which is located in the center console, was in the OFF (down) position.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's failure to utilize carburetor heat during initial climb, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
2. FAA Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N7186Z
3. http://helihub.com/2010/08/23/23-aug-10-n7186z-robinson-r44-san-diego-us-california/
4. http://helicoptersafety.blogspot.com/2010/08/23-aug-10-n7186z-robinson-r44-san-diego.html
5. https://planecrashmap.com/plane/ca/N7186Z/
6. http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000471493.html
7. http://www.cbs8.com/story/13026228/pilot-rescued-after-helicopter-crashes-into-san-diego-bay
8. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Yacht-Owner-Survived-Chopper-Crash-101374349.html
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Diego%E2%80%93Coronado_Bridge
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 10-Nov-2018 19:56 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
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