20130201003399A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · Nixon, TX · February 1, 2013

Date: February 1, 2013 · 17:15 local
Place: Nixon, TX
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3059Q
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN13LA148
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 2
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 222 total216 in this make and model24 in the last 90 days

N3059QRegistration cancelled Sep 7, 2017 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 4190 · Built 2007 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA Engine 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.

Pilot was hog hunting with one passenger over wooded area. Pilot slowed helicopter to a hover after spotting hogs, then began to loose control of helicopter (loss of tail rotor efectiveness). Pilot attempted to land in a dry pond area. As he was making the approach to the landing site the tail rotor blades made contact with a tree top causing helicopter to crash. Pilot and passenger suffered injuries and were airlifted to a medical facility. There was approximatly 20 gallons of fuel on board at the time of the crash, there was no post crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WAS HOG HUNTING WITH ONE PASSENGER OVER WOODED AREA. PILOT SLOWED HELICOPTER TO A HOVER AFTER SPOTTING HOGS, THEN BEGAN TO LOOSE CONTROL OF HELICOPTER (LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR EFECTIVENESS). PILOT ATTEMPTED TO LAND IN A DRY POND AREA. AS HE WAS MAKING THE APPROACH TO THE LANDING SITE THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT WITH A TREE TOP CAUSING HELICOPTER TO CRASH. PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED INJURIES AND WERE AIRLIFTED TO A MEDICAL FACILITY. THERE WAS APPROXIMATLY 20 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH, THERE WAS NO POST CRASH FIRE.

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 CEN13LA148Accident · Serious injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportGillett, TXA loss of tail rotor effectiveness while manuevering at low altitude.Feb 1, 2013 · Substantial damage