20140406004399A

On or about 04/06/2014 a Robinson R22 beta ii: registration # N13GH was being operated in the green river, id area. The purpose for the flight was the collection of antlers. There were 2 people on board the aircraft. The flight is considered part 91. The last known time the aircraft was seen was appx 10:45 at a ranch where the aircraft was operated from. At approx 11:15 a call was made from the aircraft back to the ranch. This was the last known communication with the aircraft before the accident.

The aircraft was reported as missing on 04/07/2014. The aircraft was found late in the day and reported to the FAA as an accident. The inspector was notified and was on scene 04/08/2014. Upon arrival at the scene it was noted: the aircraft wreckage was resting on a slope in a canyon ravene it was facing up hill and the nose of the aircraft was pointing northward. The tailboom was broken but not sheared just behind the tail cone. There was evidence the main rotor blade had contacted the tail boom but did not have enough energy to completely cut through the tail boom. The front of the aircraft was crushed in from impact with terrain. The main rotor blades were drooping downward and had little to no damage to the leading edge. The blades showed signs of buckling on the underside. There was a small puncture to the forward blade about half way down the span of the blade. There was no tearing only a puncture. This is consistant with very little energy or rotattion of the rotor system at the time of impact. Both tail rotor blades were broken about 6 to 7 inches from the root of the blade. There was a tree at the scene that showed signs of contact with the tail rotor blades and tail boom as the stabalizer and a piece of one of the tail rotor blades was still in the tree. Agian the blades showed little sign of energy or rotation. The rotating controls at the dynamic conection points for both the main rotor system and the tail rotor system looked to be intact. The drive shafts were bent to overload at the couplings and showed little to no sign of twisting. There was debris noted primarily, forward of the aircraft contact point with terrain.. Damage to the aircraft appeared to be from structural overload due to impact with terrain. The aux fuel tank was inspected observed water contamination in the remaining fuel in the tank. This tank was compromised by a hole in the external side of it. The main tank fuel did not appear to be contaminated when observed by the inspector. Fuel samples were taken from the gascolator and the samples showed signs of contamination with water. This was confirmed by sar-gel test. The inspector went back to the ranch where the fuel was stored. It was noted the source fuel came from a 55 gal drum. This source was inspected and did not show signs of water contamination. It was noted the operator would take fuel from this container and move it to smaller plastic jerry cans he would fill the aircraft from these containers. The inspector tracked the containers to another location. When these containers were inspected, significant fuel contamination with water was present. Samples were taken and tested with sar-gel and were positive for water. All fuel that was available appeared to be aviation grade 100LL. Both occupants of the aircraft died at the scene. The pilot was transferred to the medical examiner in salt lake city, UT for tox screening. The results of that screening are still pending at the time of this report. Noted from available maintenance records provided by the NTSB the last annual was performed 06/28/2012. This aircraft would have been 10 months out of annual when this accident occurred if this is accurate. The last 100HR was performed at acft tt: 2738.8 on 01/13/2013 this aircraft would have been approx 50HR out of a 100HR. Aircraft was also noted as have been overhauled in 2011.