Robinson R-22 accident near Manassas, Virginia, November 29, 1985
On November 29, 1985 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Robinson R-22 (helicopter), registered N8499B, was substantially damaged in an accident near Manassas, Virginia (Manasas Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 1985 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Manassas, Virginia · Manasas Municipal Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22 · all R-22s on the register
- Registration
- N8499B · registry record · serial 0058
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A SIMULATED STRAIGHT IN AUTOROTATION TO RUNWAY 34L WAS ENTERED FROM FINAL APPROACH BY LOWERING THE COLLECTIVE, AND A PWRRECOVERY WAS PLANNED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE AUTOROTATION. AT ABOUT 150 FEET AGL, THE THROTTLE WAS ROLLED IN TO MATCH THE ENGINE AND ROTOR NEEDLES, BUT THE ENGINE DID NOT RESPOND. THE AUTOROTATION WAS CONTINUED TO THE GROUND, AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE TERRAIN ABOUT 100 FEET FROM THE RWY 34L THRESHOLD, BOUNCED A FEW FEET IN THE AIR, ROTATED APPROXIMATELY 80-90 DEGREES TO THE LEFT, AND STRUCK THE GROUND AGAIN, COMING TO REST WITH AN APPROXIMATE 240 DEGREE HEADING.THE TAIL BOOM WAS SEVERED AND THE SKIDS WERE SPREAD.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,893 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 1,613 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,278 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 26, 1985; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 34, 3,700 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,900 ft; scat at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:51 pm from IAD, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.