What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On mar. 6, 2010, a helicopter, N922SH Robinson R-22, was engaged in a predator control flight, on a private ranch northwest of Cotulla, Texas. These hunts are conducted at tree top level. The pilot would take a shooter, passenger, up for 20 minute flights and then come down and refuel. Due to weight allowances the pilot refueled for 20 minute flights, actual amount of fuel is unknown due to there being no gauges on the fuel storage tank in his truck. The fatal flight was the second flight for the shooter. It appears that the pilot encountered a problem while over the trees and gained altitude to clear the trees. This is believed to have happened because the crater at the impact point is not conducive to a 30-40 foot impact. The other shooters at the refueling point heard what sounded like a lawn mower bogging down and then silence. They said that after 30 minutes the helicopter could not be heard and a search was started. The helicopter was found, going away from the trees, approximately 70 yards from the tree line in an open field heading in the direction from which it had come from, north. The helicopter impacted in a southerly direction, almost straight down but with a little forward motion, bounced, swung around and landed approximately 5-6 yards away from the point of impact. The pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The helicopter was destroyed with the tail section approximately 40-50 yards southeast of the main wreckage. Both fuel tanks had about 1 inch of fuel left in the tanks. Both tanks were compromised when the gascolator was opened on impact. Both occupants were thrown out of the helicopter and landed next to the wreckage to the right side. The ELT did work and was turned off by this inspector. There was no post fire. Note: the helicopter was hoisted up for removal from the field and the soil beneath the gascolator was checked for fuel contamination and very little fuel had seeped into the soil. A live earthworm was found just 1/2 inch below the surface of the contaminated soil. The possibility of carburetor ice is also probable due to the weather conditions which were favorable for carburetor ice.
As the FAA filed it
ON MAR. 6, 2010, A HELICOPTER, N922SH ROBINSON R-22, WAS ENGAGED IN A PREDATOR CONTROL FLIGHT, ON A PRIVATE RANCH NORTHWEST OF COTULLA, TEXAS. THESE HUNTS ARE CONDUCTED AT TREE TOP LEVEL. THE PILOT WOULD TAKE A SHOOTER, PASSENGER, UP FOR 20 MINUTE FLIGHTS AND THEN COME DOWN AND REFUEL. DUE TO WEIGHT ALLOWANCES THE PILOT REFUELED FOR 20 MINUTE FLIGHTS, ACTUAL AMOUNT OF FUEL IS UNKNOWN DUE TO THERE BEING NO GAUGES ON THE FUEL STORAGE TANK IN HIS TRUCK.THE FATAL FLIGHT WAS THE SECOND FLIGHT FOR THE SHOOTER. IT APPEARS THAT THE PILOT ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM WHILE OVER THE TREES AND GAINED ALTITUDE TO CLEAR THE TREES. THIS IS BELIEVED TO HAVE HAPPENED BECAUSE THE CRATER AT THE IMPACT POINT IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO A 30-40 FOOT IMPACT. THE OTHER SHOOTERS AT THE REFUELING POINT HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A LAWN MOWER BOGGING DOWN AND THEN SILENCE. THEY SAID THAT AFTER 30 MINUTES THE HELICOPTER COULD NOT BE HEARD AND A SEARCH WAS STARTED. THE HELICOPTER WAS FOUND, GOING AWAY FROM THE TREES, APPROXIMATELY 70 YARDS FROM THE TREE LINE IN AN OPEN FIELD HEADING IN THE DIRECTION FROM WHICH IT HAD COME FROM, NORTH. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION, ALMOST STRAIGHT DOWN BUT WITH A LITTLE FORWARD MOTION, BOUNCED, SWUNG AROUND AND LANDED APPROXIMATELY 5-6 YARDS AWAY FROM THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE FATALLY INJURED. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED WITH THE TAIL SECTION APPROXIMATELY 40-50 YARDS SOUTHEAST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE. BOTH FUEL TANKS HAD ABOUT 1 INCH OF FUEL LEFT IN THE TANKS. BOTH TANKS WERE COMPROMISED WHEN THE GASCOLATOR WAS OPENED ON IMPACT. BOTH OCCUPANTS WERE THROWN OUT OF THE HELICOPTER AND LANDED NEXT TO THE WRECKAGE TO THE RIGHT SIDE. THE ELT DID WORK AND WAS TURNED OFF BY THIS INSPECTOR. THERE WAS NO POST FIRE. NOTE: THE HELICOPTER WAS HOISTED UP FOR REMOVAL FROM THE FIELD AND THE SOIL BENEATH THE GASCOLATOR WAS CHECKED FOR FUEL CONTAMINATION AND VERY LITTLE FUEL HAD SEEPED INTO THE SOIL. A LIVE EARTHWORM WAS FOUND JUST 1/2 INCH BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE CONTAMINATED SOIL. THE POSSIBILITY OF CARBURETOR ICE IS ALSO PROBABLE DUE TO THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WHICH WERE FAVORABLE FOR CARBURETOR ICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.