Robinson R22 accident near Greenville, Tennessee, February 23, 1986
On February 23, 1986, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N90459, was destroyed in an accident near Greenville, Tennessee (Greenville Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 1986
- Place
- Greenville, Tennessee · Greenville Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N90459 · registry record · serial 0108
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT WAS LAST SEEN TO DEPART RWY 23 AT THE GREENVILLE ARPT & ENTER A LOW CLOUD LAYER AT NGT. A WITNESS ESTIMATED THE HELICOPTER ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 300 TO 400 FT AGL. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. THE WRECKAGE WAS FOUND THE NEXT DAY, LOCATED ABOUT 1/4 MI SOUTH OF THE EXTENDED RWY CENTERLINE. AN EXAM REVEALED THE INITIAL IMPACT WAS WITH A TREE. THE HELICOPTER THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND, APRX 75 FT DOWNHILL & NORTH OF THE INITIAL TREE IMPACT POINT. NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS FOUND; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER WAS EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED (DESTROYED) WHEN IT CRASHED. THE PLT WAS NOT INSTRUMENT RATED. A TOXICOLOGY CHECK SHOWED ONLY A SLIGHT AMOUNT (375 NG/ML) OF BUTALBITAL IN THE PLT'S URINE. A CHECK OF HIS BLOOD WAS NEGATIVE FOR DRUGS/MEDICATION.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: gyroplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 390 hours in all; 274 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 281 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 850 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Knoxville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:50 pm from TYS, 65 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL86FA081.