Robinson R-22B accident near Sacramento, California, May 29, 1990
On May 29, 1990, a Robinson R-22B (helicopter), registered N649MB, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sacramento, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT'S FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER'S CHECKLIST BY NEGLECTING TO APPLY FULL CARBURETOR HEAT AT LOW POWER SETTINGS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 1990
- Place
- Sacramento, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22B · all R-22Bs on the register
- Registration
- N649MB · registry record · serial 0649
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE STUDENT WERE MAKING AUTOROTATIONS AND TERMINATING THE DESCENT WITH A POWER RECOVERY. THEY DID NOT APPLY FULL CARBURETOR HEAT AS PRESCRIBED BY THE AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER. UPON APPLYING RECOVERY POWER THE POWERPLANT FAILED TO RESPOND. THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED ITS DESCENT AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 841 hours in all; 841 in this make and model; 284 in the last 90 days; 103 in the last 30 days; 770 as pilot in command; 633 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sacramento Executive Hel. INC.
The flight
- Departed from: SAC Sacramento CA at 11:50 pm
- Destination: SAC
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | 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.
Other NTSB records under N649MB 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 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 LAX90LA199.