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19980331004859A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 BETA · Riviera, TX · March 31, 1998

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 31, 1998 · 12:30 local
Place
Riviera, TX
Phase of flight
Low Level Operations
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N2628B
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW98LA163
Reported as
Robsin R22BETA
Reported engine
Lycoming O320B2C
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
12,000 total2,000 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days
N2628BRegistration cancelled May 22, 2001 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 0771Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Tail rotor struck ground while herding cattle. Helicopter then rolled over.(.4) the pilot was using the helicopter to herd cattle and was attempting to move a bull towards a corral when the animal charged the helicopter. As the pilot maneuvered to avoid the bull, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the water in a stock tank (pond), resulting in failure of the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot performed an autorotation. The helicopter spun twice to the right, touched down in a level attitude in the stock tank, and rolled onto its right side. (-23) on March 31, 1998, at 1315 central standard time, a Robinson R22 beta helicopter, N2628B, registered to and operated by mesquite helicopter services, inc., of alice, Texas, was substantially damaged when it crashed while herding cattle near Riviera, Texas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the title 14 CFR part 91 local business flight. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that the helicopter's tail rotor struck teh ground, and the helicopter then impacted the ground and rolled over.

As the FAA filed it

TAIL ROTOR STRUCK GROUND WHILE HERDING CATTLE. HELICOPTER THEN ROLLED OVER.(.4) THE PILOT WAS USING THE HELICOPTER TO HERD CATTLE AND WAS ATTEMPTING TO MOVE A BULL TOWARDS A CORRAL WHEN THE ANIMAL CHARGED THE HELICOPTER. AS THE PILOT MANEUVERED TO AVOID THE BULL, THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR CONTACTED THE WATER IN A STOCK TANK (POND), RESULTING IN FAILURE OF THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN AUTOROTATION. THE HELICOPTER SPUN TWICE TO THE RIGHT, TOUCHED DOWN IN A LEVEL ATTITUDE IN THE STOCK TANK, AND ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE. (-23) ON MARCH 31, 1998, AT 1315 CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, A ROBINSON R22 BETA HELICOPTER, N2628B, REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY MESQUITE HELICOPTER SERVICES, INC., OF ALICE, TEXAS, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT CRASHED WHILE HERDING CATTLE NEAR RIVIERA, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT, THE SOLE OCCUPANT, WAS NOT INJURED. NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE TITLE 14 CFR PART 91 LOCAL BUSINESS FLIGHT. THE PILOT REPORTED TO AN FAA INSPECTOR THAT THE HELICOPTER'S TAIL ROTOR STRUCK TEH GROUND, AND THE HELICOPTER THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND AND ROLLED OVER.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB FTW98LA163Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportRiviera, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain terrain clearance while performing an evasive maneuver to avoid a charging bull, resulting in a tail rotor blade strike and the failure of the tail rotor drive shaft. Factors were the charging bull and the lack of suitable…Mar 31, 1998 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N2628B · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19881001042589AHovering · Orlando, FLDuring practice hover student allowed helicopter to descend. CFI took over late. Skid hit caused dynamic roll over.Oct 1, 1988 · Substantial damage