Mbb SCORPION TOO accident near Tallahassee, Florida, January 29, 1983
On January 29, 1983 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Mbb SCORPION TOO (helicopter), an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N5459G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tallahassee, Florida. 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
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 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 29, 1983 · about 9:50 pm local time
- Place
- Tallahassee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Mbb SCORPION TOO SCORPION T, amateur-built
- Registration
- N5459G · no longer on the register · serial 576-1476
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES WHILE ON A LOCAL PERSONAL FLIGHT. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE ACFT WAS FLYING LOW OVERTHE TREES. SEVERAL LOUD BACKFIRES WERE HEARD AND THE HELICOPTER CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA. THE ACFT DESCENDED ALMOST VERTICALLY WITH THE FUSELAGE IN A FLAT LEVEL ATTITUDE. THE LEFT CARBURETOR WAS FOUND SEPARATED AT THE FLOATING FLANGE AND INTAKE MANIFOLD. THE SPARK PLUGS SHOWED EVIDENCE OF LEAN MIXTURE AND HOT COMBUSTION ASSOCIATED WITH INTAKE MANIFOLD LEAKAGE.
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: 79 hours in all; 78 in this make and model; 48 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 78 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 13, 1982; 78 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,235 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotorway RW-133 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:49 pm from TLH, 4 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.