Robinson R-22 accident near Wabash, Indiana, August 12, 1983
On August 12, 1983 at about 11:30 am local time, a Robinson R-22 (helicopter), registered N9031F, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wabash, Indiana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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
- August 12, 1983 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Wabash, Indiana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22 · all R-22s on the register
- Registration
- N9031F · registry record · serial 007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AUTOROTATION PRACTICE, WHEN THE PILOT ROLLED THE THROTTLE OFF, THE ENGINE QUIT. AN ENGINE RESTART WAS ATTEMPTED. THIS TIME LAPSE ALLOWED THE ROTOR RPM TO DECAY AND A PROPER AUTOROTATION COULD NOT BE DONE IN THEREMAINING ALTITUDE. THE ACFT LANDED HARD HITTING A FARM FENCE AND ROLLING OVER. BEFORE TAKEOFF THE PILOT DID NOT TOP OFFTHE FUEL BUT ESTIMATED 15 GALLONS ABOARD. THREE DAYS AFTER THE CRASH THERE WAS NO FUEL IN THE TANK OR THE FUEL SYSTEM. THERE WERE NO FUEL STAINS ON THE OVERTURNED FUSELAGE. THERE DID SEEM TO BE SOME EVIDENCE OF FUEL SMELL ON THE GROUND. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE DID NOT REVEAL ANYTHING TO PREVENT NORMAL OPERATION.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 819 hours in all; 331 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 819 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 804 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 20, 1982; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming AO-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N9031F the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CHI83FET01.