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19990703008249A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 BETA · Theriot, LA · July 3, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
July 3, 1999 · 12:00 local
Place
Theriot, LA
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N8360T
NTSB investigation
NTSBFTW99LA179
Reported as
Robsin R22BETA
Reported engine
Lycoming O360J2A
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
8,000 total250 in this make and model120 in the last 90 days
N8360TRegistration cancelled Mar 23, 2015 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 2758 · Built 1997Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine modelLycoming O-360-J2AReciprocating

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.

1997 Robinson R-22 helicopter experienced engine failure, executed an auto-rotation, landed hard, and flipped over in a swamp, other circumstances are unknown. (From .4) on July 3, 1999, at approximately 1200 central daylight time, a Robinson R22 beta helicopter, N8360T, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during cruise flight near Theriot, Louisiana. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR part 91 business flight for which a flight plan was not filed. The local repositioning flight originated from a farm near Theriot, Louisiana, approximately 10 minutes prior to the accident. The pilot reported that the flight was scheduled to conduct an aerial survey of alligator activity in several marshes and swamps within the local area. During the third flight of the day, at 500 feet AGL, the engine of the helicopter lost power without warning. The pilot initiated a straight-in autorotation to an open area covered with 4 to 5 foot tall grass. The pilot further stated that he flared the helicopter just ab above the top of the tall grass, until the helicopter sank into the grass with some forward airspeed. The helicopter rolled over on its right side and came to rest heading 180 degrees from the direction of the landing. Another helicopter rescued the pilot and the passenger from the swampy area about 5 hours after the accident. The 8,000-hour pilot reported that the tailboom separated from the airframe during the accident sequence and the powertrain system, including the main rotor blades, sustained structural damage. The helicopter was manufactured in 1997, and had accumulated a total of 557 flight hours. The aircraft was recovered to the helicopter manufacturer's facility in torrance, California, for damage evaluation and repairs. On August 17, 1999, the engine of the helicopter was successfully run in a dynamometer under the supervision of an FAA inspector from the long beach FSDO. The inspector reported that the engine performed well within the established parameters for over 20 minutes. The inspector added that water was found in the main fuel tank, the gascolator bowl, and carburetor bowl. See enclosed manufacturer's report for details of the engine run.

As the FAA filed it

1997 ROBINSON R-22 HELICOPTER EXPERIENCED ENGINE FAILURE, EXECUTED AN AUTO-ROTATION, LANDED HARD, AND FLIPPED OVER IN A SWAMP, OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE UNKNOWN. (FROM .4) ON JULY 3, 1999, AT APPROXIMATELY 1200 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A ROBINSON R22 BETA HELICOPTER, N8360T, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DURING CRUISE FLIGHT NEAR THERIOT, LOUISIANA. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT AND HIS PASSENGER WERE NOT INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE PILOT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 BUSINESS FLIGHT FOR WHICH A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE LOCAL REPOSITIONING FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM A FARM NEAR THERIOT, LOUISIANA, APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE FLIGHT WAS SCHEDULED TO CONDUCT AN AERIAL SURVEY OF ALLIGATOR ACTIVITY IN SEVERAL MARSHES AND SWAMPS WITHIN THE LOCAL AREA. DURING THE THIRD FLIGHT OF THE DAY, AT 500 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE OF THE HELICOPTER LOST POWER WITHOUT WARNING. THE PILOT INITIATED A STRAIGHT-IN AUTOROTATION TO AN OPEN AREA COVERED WITH 4 TO 5 FOOT TALL GRASS. THE PILOT FURTHER STATED THAT HE FLARED THE HELICOPTER JUST AB ABOVE THE TOP OF THE TALL GRASS, UNTIL THE HELICOPTER SANK INTO THE GRASS WITH SOME FORWARD AIRSPEED. THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND CAME TO REST HEADING 180 DEGREES FROM THE DIRECTION OF THE LANDING. ANOTHER HELICOPTER RESCUED THE PILOT AND THE PASSENGER FROM THE SWAMPY AREA ABOUT 5 HOURS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE 8,000-HOUR PILOT REPORTED THAT THE TAILBOOM SEPARATED FROM THE AIRFRAME DURING THE ACCIDENT SEQUENCE AND THE POWERTRAIN SYSTEM, INCLUDING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES, SUSTAINED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. THE HELICOPTER WAS MANUFACTURED IN 1997, AND HAD ACCUMULATED A TOTAL OF 557 FLIGHT HOURS. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED TO THE HELICOPTER MANUFACTURER'S FACILITY IN TORRANCE, CALIFORNIA, FOR DAMAGE EVALUATION AND REPAIRS. ON AUGUST 17, 1999, THE ENGINE OF THE HELICOPTER WAS SUCCESSFULLY RUN IN A DYNAMOMETER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN FAA INSPECTOR FROM THE LONG BEACH FSDO. THE INSPECTOR REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE PERFORMED WELL WITHIN THE ESTABLISHED PARAMETERS FOR OVER 20 MINUTES. THE INSPECTOR ADDED THAT WATER WAS FOUND IN THE MAIN FUEL TANK, THE GASCOLATOR BOWL, AND CARBURETOR BOWL. SEE ENCLOSED MANUFACTURER'S REPORT FOR DETAILS OF THE ENGINE RUN.

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 FTW99LA179Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTheriot, LAThe pilot's inadequate preflight inspection which led to a contaminated fuel supply and subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was the lack of suitable terrain available for the forced landing.Jul 3, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N8360T · 1

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

Accident 20110311003459AHover/Holding · North Las Vegas, NVWhile conducting hovering practice during a flight lesson, N8360T a Robinson R22 helicopter, contacted the ground which resulted in a dynamic roll over condition. The helicopter rolled over onto its right side and experienced substantial damage. No injuries…Mar 11, 2011 · Substantial damage