Robinson R22 BETA accident near Houston, Texas, March 26, 1999
On March 26, 1999 at about 6:41 pm local time, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter), registered N2323V, was destroyed in an accident near Houston, Texas. It was an aerial observation flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while maneuvering. A factor was the pilot's impairment due to his use of a prescription narcotic.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 1999 · about 6:41 pm local time
- Place
- Houston, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N2323V · registry record · serial 2100
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Aerial observation flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot lost control of the helicopter while maneuvering during an aerial photography flight. Witnesses stated that the helicopter flew from the west and then made a left turn (when viewed from below). The helicopter then started to spin 'out of control' about its vertical axis. The helicopter was described as pitching nose down and even inverted in some accounts. The witnesses stated that the main rotor blades stopped, and the helicopter 'fell out of the sky.' No pre-accident anomalies with the helicopter were noted during the wreckage examination. Toxicology tests revealed levels of 0.117 ug/mL of Propoxyphene (a prescription narcotic painkiller), 0.589 ug/mL of Norpropoxyphene (a metabolite of propxyphene), and 8 ug/mL of Acetaminophen in the pilot's blood. The level of propoxyphene and acetaminophen suggests a normal dose within the previous 6 hours. The level of norpropoxyphene found suggests that another dose of medication may have been used within the previous 24 hours. The use of propoxyphene during flight is contraindicated due to its depressant effects on the central nervous system.
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, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 215 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 146 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,832 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 25, 1999; 76 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helicopter Services, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Spring TX at 3:10 pm
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from HOU, 10 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.