Robinson R22 accident near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, October 22, 1983
On October 22, 1983 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N9044Q, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. 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).
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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
- October 22, 1983 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Kailua-Kona, Hawaii · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N9044Q · registry record · serial 0112
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS TRANSPORTING A PHOTOGRAPHER FOR THE PURPOSE OF PHOTOGRAPHING A SPORTS EVENT. WHILE HOVERING AT AN UNSPECIFIED LOW ALTITUDE, THE PLT BECAME DISTRACTED AND ALLOWED THE ROTOR RPM TO DECREASE. AFTER THE LOW RPM WARNING HORN SOUNDED, THE PLT TRIED TO RECOVER, BUT REPORTEDLY, HE WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE COLLECTIVE SUFFICIENTLY TO REGAIN CONTROL. A WITNESS REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SPIN SLOWLY AROUND. THE PLT APPLIED LEFT PEDAL TO PARTIALLY REDUCE A CLOCK-WISE ROTATION. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO DESCEND UNTIL IT COLLIDED WITH LAVA ROCK, THEN IT ROLLED OVER. THE PLT REPORTED THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL FAILURE OR POWER LOSS.
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: 328 hours in all; 260 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 174 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 648 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 1,300 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KOA Kailua-Kona HI at 5:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 LAX84LA026.