What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4) The pilot was traveling forward in a Robinson R22B at an airspeed of 10 to 20 knots, and an altitude of 230 feet above the ground, with a 15 to 21 knot left-quartering tailwind. The helicopter began to rotate to the right. After three rotations the pilot was unable to recover, and the helicopter impacted terrain. FAA advisory circular (ac) 90-95 stated that loss of tailrotor effectiveness (lte) was a critical, low-speed aerodynamic flight characteristic which could result in an uncommanded rapid yaw rate, and loss of aircraft control. It also stated that all single main rotor helicopters were susceptible to loss of tail rotor effectiveness (lte). The ac advised pilots that when maneuvering between hover and 30 knots to avoid: left crosswinds, tailwinds, and high power settings at low airspeeds. (-23) owner/pilot and passenger (a local real estate agent) departed private airstrip in Harpswell, Maine at approximately 9:30 am for local aerial photograph/flight. Based upon interview with passenger shortly after accident the sequence of events was as follows: passenger was in left seat preparing to take photographs. As the helicopter approached the site to be photogra phed the pilot slowed in preparation to hover to slow fly the area. They were moving forward rather slowly when the helicopter suddenly began to turn. The passenger stated that he thought it was simply a gust of wind that had caused the uncommanded turn. He stated that he then heard an audio alarm (similar to the alarm he heard during the pretakeoff checks) and he thought that he also saw a warning light flashing. The helicopter began to pitch and roll from side to side and began a clockwise rotation. Passenger stated that the pilot was "fighting it with everything he had to slow the rotation and descent" but unable to correct. Helicopter impacted swamp area in an upright position. No main.
As the FAA filed it
(.4) THE PILOT WAS TRAVELING FORWARD IN A ROBINSON R22B AT AN AIRSPEED OF 10 TO 20 KNOTS, AND AN ALTITUDE OF 230 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, WITH A 15 TO 21 KNOT LEFT-QUARTERING TAILWIND. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO ROTATE TO THE RIGHT. AFTER THREE ROTATIONS THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO RECOVER, AND THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED TERRAIN. FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR (AC) 90-95 STATED THAT LOSS OF TAILROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE) WAS A CRITICAL, LOW-SPEED AERODYNAMIC FLIGHT CHARACTERISTIC WHICH COULD RESULT IN AN UNCOMMANDED RAPID YAW RATE, AND LOSS OF AIRCRAFT CONTROL. IT ALSO STATED THAT ALL SINGLE MAIN ROTOR HELICOPTERS WERE SUSCEPTIBLE TO LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE). THE AC ADVISED PILOTS THAT WHEN MANEUVERING BETWEEN HOVER AND 30 KNOTS TO AVOID: LEFT CROSSWINDS, TAILWINDS, AND HIGH POWER SETTINGS AT LOW AIRSPEEDS. (-23) OWNER/PILOT AND PASSENGER (A LOCAL REAL ESTATE AGENT) DEPARTED PRIVATE AIRSTRIP IN HARPSWELL, MAINE AT APPROXIMATELY 9:30 AM FOR LOCAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH/FLIGHT. BASED UPON INTERVIEW WITH PASSENGER SHORTLY AFTER ACCIDENT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS WAS AS FOLLOWS: PASSENGER WAS IN LEFT SEAT PREPARING TO TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS. AS THE HELICOPTER APPROACHED THE SITE TO BE PHOTOGRA PHED THE PILOT SLOWED IN PREPARATION TO HOVER TO SLOW FLY THE AREA. THEY WERE MOVING FORWARD RATHER SLOWLY WHEN THE HELICOPTER SUDDENLY BEGAN TO TURN. THE PASSENGER STATED THAT HE THOUGHT IT WAS SIMPLY A GUST OF WIND THAT HAD CAUSED THE UNCOMMANDED TURN. HE STATED THAT HE THEN HEARD AN AUDIO ALARM (SIMILAR TO THE ALARM HE HEARD DURING THE PRETAKEOFF CHECKS) AND HE THOUGHT THAT HE ALSO SAW A WARNING LIGHT FLASHING. THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO PITCH AND ROLL FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND BEGAN A CLOCKWISE ROTATION. PASSENGER STATED THAT THE PILOT WAS "FIGHTING IT WITH EVERYTHING HE HAD TO SLOW THE ROTATION AND DESCENT" BUT UNABLE TO CORRECT. HELICOPTER IMPACTED SWAMP AREA IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION. NO MAIN.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.