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20170923019772A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · Clearwater, FL · September 23, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
September 23, 2017 · 17:00 local
Place
Clearwater, FL
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N404TB
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA332
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
245 total245 in this make and model31 in the last 90 days
N404TBRegistration cancelled Dec 5, 2020 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 3747 · Built 2005Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine 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.

The Robinson Helicopter (R-22) that day was out practicing pattern work, on the initial departure he saw an aircraft on base to runway 16 and advised him the active runway was 34, at which time he saw the aircraft veer to the left. When on his second downwind he saw an aircraft land runway 34. The helicopter turned final about a mile from the end of the runway 34 at approximately 500 feet and made a steep approach to runway 34 to an altitude of 10-15 feet.

The Piper arrow departed Clearwater airpark to the west at 1600 to practice commercial maneuvers. Returned to the Clearwater airpark at about 1700, entered the pattern for runway 34 to make his one and only landing.

Both aircraft were in the pattern at Clearwater airpark and each stated they made the appropriate radio calls. Both pilots stated they never heard the other pilot?s transmissions. The helicopter was transitioning from approach to hover over runway 34 when the Piper arrow came in on final to runway 34. During the transition of the Piper arrow to landing, the pilot saw the helicopter and initiated a go-around. During the go-around the Piper arrow?s left wing struck the helicopter at the rear of the engine and exhaust stack causing the helicopter to rotate 360 degrees and land on the runway. At the point of impact, the Piper arrow lost 51 inches of the left wing, after passing the helicopter the Piper arrow started to roll to the left and collapsed the left wing on the runway. The Piper arrow continued rolling left until it was inverted and slide off the left side on the runway.

As the FAA filed it

THE ROBINSON HELICOPTER (R-22) THAT DAY WAS OUT PRACTICING PATTERN WORK, ON THE INITIAL DEPARTURE HE SAW AN AIRCRAFT ON BASE TO RUNWAY 16 AND ADVISED HIM THE ACTIVE RUNWAY WAS 34, AT WHICH TIME HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT VEER TO THE LEFT. WHEN ON HIS SECOND DOWNWIND HE SAW AN AIRCRAFT LAND RUNWAY 34. THE HELICOPTER TURNED FINAL ABOUT A MILE FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY 34 AT APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET AND MADE A STEEP APPROACH TO RUNWAY 34 TO AN ALTITUDE OF 10-15 FEET.

THE PIPER ARROW DEPARTED CLEARWATER AIRPARK TO THE WEST AT 1600 TO PRACTICE COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS. RETURNED TO THE CLEARWATER AIRPARK AT ABOUT 1700, ENTERED THE PATTERN FOR RUNWAY 34 TO MAKE HIS ONE AND ONLY LANDING.

BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE PATTERN AT CLEARWATER AIRPARK AND EACH STATED THEY MADE THE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS. BOTH PILOTS STATED THEY NEVER HEARD THE OTHER PILOT?S TRANSMISSIONS. THE HELICOPTER WAS TRANSITIONING FROM APPROACH TO HOVER OVER RUNWAY 34 WHEN THE PIPER ARROW CAME IN ON FINAL TO RUNWAY 34. DURING THE TRANSITION OF THE PIPER ARROW TO LANDING, THE PILOT SAW THE HELICOPTER AND INITIATED A GO-AROUND. DURING THE GO-AROUND THE PIPER ARROW?S LEFT WING STRUCK THE HELICOPTER AT THE REAR OF THE ENGINE AND EXHAUST STACK CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ROTATE 360 DEGREES AND LAND ON THE RUNWAY. AT THE POINT OF IMPACT, THE PIPER ARROW LOST 51 INCHES OF THE LEFT WING, AFTER PASSING THE HELICOPTER THE PIPER ARROW STARTED TO ROLL TO THE LEFT AND COLLAPSED THE LEFT WING ON THE RUNWAY. THE PIPER ARROW CONTINUED ROLLING LEFT UNTIL IT WAS INVERTED AND SLIDE OFF THE LEFT SIDE ON THE RUNWAY.

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 ERA17LA332Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportClearwater, FLThe airplane pilot's inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in an in-flight collision with a helicopter. Contributing to the accident was the airplane pilot's failure to adequately transmit his position while operating in the airport traffic pattern.Sep 23, 2017 · 2 aircraft · Substantial damage

Other aircraft in the event · 1

Each aircraft in a collision has its own report.

N1881HPiper PA-28R-201Accident 20170923019742A · Substantial damage