Robinson R22 HT accident near Sonora, Texas, December 23, 1985
On December 23, 1985 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Robinson R22 HT (helicopter), registered N9074U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sonora, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. 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 November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 23, 1985 · about 10:45 pm local time · cases in 1985
- Place
- Sonora, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 HT · all R22 HTs on the register
- Registration
- N9074U · registry record · serial 0245
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER CONTACTED THE TERRAIN IN AN UNCONTROLLED DESCENT AFTER COLLIDING WITH POWER LINES DURING A CLIMBING TURN TO THE WEST. THE PLT REPORTED HE COULD NOT SEE THE POWER LINES BECAUSE OF GLARE FROM THE SETTING SUN.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 182 hours in all; 158 in this make and model; 182 in the last 90 days; 134 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 610 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 1985; 66 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 2 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N9074U on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Robinson R22 817 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C 55 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Accidents and incidents in Texas 6,244 since 1982 · 1,061 in the last ten years
- Texas 29,986 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/FTW86FRG09.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.