Robinson R22 Beta accident near Redlands, California, December 15, 2003
On December 15, 2003 at about 5:58 pm local time, a Robinson R22 Beta (helicopter), registered N1225D, was destroyed in an accident near Redlands, California (San Bernardino International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a loss of engine power due to the pilot inadvertently turning off the magnetos and his failure to initiate an autorotation and to maintain main rotor rpm. A factor in the accident was the pilot's use of an over-the-counter medication that impaired his judgment and/or performance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 15, 2003 · about 5:58 pm local time
- Place
- Redlands, California · San Bernardino International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 Beta · all R22 Betas on the register
- Registration
- N1225D · registry record · serial 3295
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter crashed vertically in a city street during an autorotation following a loss of engine power. The pilot was on his second logged flight since obtaining his rotorcraft rating and was on a solo cross-country flight when witnesses reported hearing the engine miss-fire and then quit. The witnesses saw the helicopter's main rotor blades coning up and then stop rotation completely. The helicopter fell straight down to a city street below. The magneto switch was found in the off position with no sign of impact damage to the switch or key. An evaluation of the crash dynamics, the force vectors involved, and the structural deformation of the helicopter could not explain the magneto switch position. Witnesses to the accident said the magneto switch was not turned off by anyone after the accident. Examination of the engine and helicopter systems found no anomalies that would have prevented their normal operation. The engine roughness heard by the witnesses coupled with the magneto switch position may indicate that the pilot was attempting to diagnose an engine roughness by selectively turning off one magneto at a time and in the process, he may have inadvertently selected the both off position. The pilot was in the right seat and manipulation of the magneto switch would have required him to take his hand off the collective, which could have resulted in a delay in reacting to the loss of engine power. Toxicology reports on the pilot showed that chlorpheniramine was detected in blood at a level several times higher than the level expected with a typical maximum single over-the-counter dose of the medication. Chlorpheniramine is an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine commonly used for cold and allergy symptoms and is present in many over-the-counter multisymptom preparations. In typical doses, the medication has measurable adverse effects on performance of complex cognitive and motor tasks. It is likely that the pilot's performance and judgment were impaired by chlorpheniramine. The Federal Aviation Administration instructs Aviation Medical Examiners that, "any airman who is undergoing continuous treatment with... sedating antihistaminic...drugs... must be deferred certification..."
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; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 329 hours in all; 52 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 31, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 765 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 26, 2003; 41.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Supersonic Aviation Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: SBD San Bernardino CA at 5:40 pm
- Destination: F70 Murrieta CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 22,000 ft; a few clouds at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from RIV, 6 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.
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.