20180213002579A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · Wadsworth, TX · February 13, 2018

Date: February 13, 2018 · 10:20 local
Place: Wadsworth, TX
Airport: Bay City Municipal
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N843SH
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA18CA129
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 287 total287 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days

N843SHRegistration cancelled Sep 4, 2020 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 3820 · Built 2005 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETA Engine modelLycoming O-360 seriesReciprocating

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 and passenger were hunting wild hogs on private land. Pilot landed aircraft near abandoned farm house. Pilot and passenger took back off from remote location. When the helicopter was approximately 40 feet off the ground the passenger got the butt of his rifle into the cyclic and pitched the helicopter forward. Pilot stated he yelled at the passenger to move the rifle. The passenger froze up when he saw the helicopter going down. Helicopter impacted the ground, rolled over then came to rest upright. The main rotor blades struck the ground and bent back. Tail boom broke off and tail rotor gear box separated from boom. All windows busted out during roll over. Fuselage bent, skids separated from helicopter. Instrument panel broke from mounts.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE HUNTING WILD HOGS ON PRIVATE LAND. PILOT LANDED AIRCRAFT NEAR ABANDONED FARM HOUSE. PILOT AND PASSENGER TOOK BACK OFF FROM REMOTE LOCATION. WHEN THE HELICOPTER WAS APPROXIMATELY 40 FEET OFF THE GROUND THE PASSENGER GOT THE BUTT OF HIS RIFLE INTO THE CYCLIC AND PITCHED THE HELICOPTER FORWARD. PILOT STATED HE YELLED AT THE PASSENGER TO MOVE THE RIFLE. THE PASSENGER FROZE UP WHEN HE SAW THE HELICOPTER GOING DOWN. HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND, ROLLED OVER THEN CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND AND BENT BACK. TAIL BOOM BROKE OFF AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SEPARATED FROM BOOM. ALL WINDOWS BUSTED OUT DURING ROLL OVER. FUSELAGE BENT, SKIDS SEPARATED FROM HELICOPTER. INSTRUMENT PANEL BROKE FROM MOUNTS.

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 GAA18CA129Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportWadsworth, TXThe passenger’s gun becoming lodged in the flight controls during takeoff and his failure to remove it, which resulted in impact with terrain.Feb 13, 2018 · Substantial damage