What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.19) On October 30, 2001, approximately 1200 mountain standard time, a Robinson R22 beta, single-engine helicopter, N8373T, sustained substantial damage when it struck a tree and impacted the terrain while maneuvering in a canyon near redrock, new Mexico. The helicopter was owned and operated under 14 code of federal regulations part 91 by holt helicopters, inc., of uvalde, Texas. The commercial pilot received serious injuries and his passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local flight, and a flight plan was not filed. The helicopter, being utilized for a cattle roundup, had departed the cattle pens a few minutes prior to the accident. Ranch personnel reported to the FAA inspectors, who responded to the accident site, that the helicopter departed to the east-northeast toward a draw, which leads into the canyon from the cattle pens. The elevation was approximately 5,000 feet at the cattle pens with an upslope greater than 15 degrees toward the canyon. The wind in the canyon was from the south-southwest at 10 mph gusting to 5 mph, with a temperature of 75-80 degrees fahrenheit. The FAA inspectors found the helicopter resting on its right side along the "steep slope of a box canyon and about 100 feet below the ridge." Tree limbs and branches were found in the vicinity of the main wreckage. The inspectors found physical evidence that was consistent with tree impact along the leading edges of the main rotor blades. The main rotor blade pitch change rod was found separated; however, the separation surfaces exhibited 45 degree shear slips consistent with overload. The tail rotor drive shaft was intact and movement was noted at the tail rotor gearbox input quil when the tail rotor was rotated by hand. Flight control continuity was confirmed from the flight controls to the tail rotor and to the main rotor system. The right side of the cockpit was crushed inward. Numerous pieces of plexiglas were scattered about the main wreckage. The fuel selector valve was tywrapped to the "on" position, and the fuel tank contained fuel. All components of the helicopter were accounted for at the accident site. (-23) Mr. Fred graff piloted a Robinson R-22 beta, N8373T on October 30, 2001 near red rock, NM in a commercial operation herding cattle. Mr. Graff had privacy data omitted on board as a passenger. Mr. Graff weighs 195 pounds, privacy data omitted weighs 185 pounds, the helicopter had 90 pounds of fuel on board. Calculations show the density altitude at the time of the accident to be 7200 feet. It is believed Mr. Graff took off and was unable to gain altitude due to the weight of the aircraft and high density altitude conditions. He flew the aircraft into an area of rising terrain, which exceeded the helicopter's capablilities. The rotor disk impacted a tree, causing the aircraft to come to rest on its side at the bottom of a small ravine.
As the FAA filed it
(.19) ON OCTOBER 30, 2001, APPROXIMATELY 1200 MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME, A ROBINSON R22 BETA, SINGLE-ENGINE HELICOPTER, N8373T, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT STRUCK A TREE AND IMPACTED THE TERRAIN WHILE MANEUVERING IN A CANYON NEAR REDROCK, NEW MEXICO. THE HELICOPTER WAS OWNED AND OPERATED UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS PART 91 BY HOLT HELICOPTERS, INC., OF UVALDE, TEXAS. THE COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES AND HIS PASSENGER RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE LOCAL FLIGHT, AND A FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. THE HELICOPTER, BEING UTILIZED FOR A CATTLE ROUNDUP, HAD DEPARTED THE CATTLE PENS A FEW MINUTES PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. RANCH PERSONNEL REPORTED TO THE FAA INSPECTORS, WHO RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE, THAT THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST TOWARD A DRAW, WHICH LEADS INTO THE CANYON FROM THE CATTLE PENS. THE ELEVATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 5,000 FEET AT THE CATTLE PENS WITH AN UPSLOPE GREATER THAN 15 DEGREES TOWARD THE CANYON. THE WIND IN THE CANYON WAS FROM THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST AT 10 MPH GUSTING TO 5 MPH, WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 75-80 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. THE FAA INSPECTORS FOUND THE HELICOPTER RESTING ON ITS RIGHT SIDE ALONG THE "STEEP SLOPE OF A BOX CANYON AND ABOUT 100 FEET BELOW THE RIDGE." TREE LIMBS AND BRANCHES WERE FOUND IN THE VICINITY OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE INSPECTORS FOUND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE THAT WAS CONSISTENT WITH TREE IMPACT ALONG THE LEADING EDGES OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE PITCH CHANGE ROD WAS FOUND SEPARATED; HOWEVER, THE SEPARATION SURFACES EXHIBITED 45 DEGREE SHEAR SLIPS CONSISTENT WITH OVERLOAD. THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT WAS INTACT AND MOVEMENT WAS NOTED AT THE TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX INPUT QUIL WHEN THE TAIL ROTOR WAS ROTATED BY HAND. FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY WAS CONFIRMED FROM THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO THE TAIL ROTOR AND TO THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE COCKPIT WAS CRUSHED INWARD. NUMEROUS PIECES OF PLEXIGLAS WERE SCATTERED ABOUT THE MAIN WRECKAGE. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS TYWRAPPED TO THE "ON" POSITION, AND THE FUEL TANK CONTAINED FUEL. ALL COMPONENTS OF THE HELICOPTER WERE ACCOUNTED FOR AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. (-23) MR. FRED GRAFF PILOTED A ROBINSON R-22 BETA, N8373T ON OCTOBER 30, 2001 NEAR RED ROCK, NM IN A COMMERCIAL OPERATION HERDING CATTLE. MR. GRAFF HAD ^PRIVACY DATA O^ ON BOARD AS A PASSENGER. MR. GRAFF WEIGHS 195 POUNDS, ^PRIVACY D^ WEIGHS 185 POUNDS, THE HELICOPTER HAD 90 POUNDS OF FUEL ON BOARD. CALCULATIONS SHOW THE DENSITY ALTITUDE AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT TO BE 7200 FEET. IT IS BELIEVED MR. GRAFF TOOK OFF AND WAS UNABLE TO GAIN ALTITUDE DUE TO THE WEIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT AND HIGH DENSITY ALTITUDE CONDITIONS. HE FLEW THE AIRCRAFT INTO AN AREA OF RISING TERRAIN, WHICH EXCEEDED THE HELICOPTER'S CAPABLILITIES. THE ROTOR DISK IMPACTED A TREE, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO COME TO REST ON ITS SIDE AT THE BOTTOM OF A SMALL RAVINE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.