20180820011909I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · Del Rio, TX · August 20, 2018

Date: August 20, 2018 · 17:45 local
Place: Del Rio, TX
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N755SH
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 835 total825 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N755SHRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 4163 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 and passenger were ending the day of herding sheep in an R-22 beta 2 (N755SH) on a private ranch 20 miles east of Del Rio, TX. While cruising back to the landing area where the helicopter trailer was, pilot stated visibility was reduced at dusk and he did not see the power lines. Pilot struck two power lines. One line damaged the main rotor shaft fairing, and the second line caused scratching on the front of the main viewing bubble. Both lines snapped which reduced any further damage. Pilot was able to land the helicopter normally with no vibrations or power loss. Helicopter was inspected by the pilot who stated he checked the main rotor blades and head along with the tail boom and tail rotor. Everything was in perfect condition.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT AND PASSENGER WERE ENDING THE DAY OF HERDING SHEEP IN AN R-22 BETA 2 (N755SH) ON A PRIVATE RANCH 20 MILES EAST OF DEL RIO, TX. WHILE CRUISING BACK TO THE LANDING AREA WHERE THE HELICOPTER TRAILER WAS, PILOT STATED VISIBILITY WAS REDUCED AT DUSK AND HE DID NOT SEE THE POWER LINES. PILOT STRUCK TWO POWER LINES. ONE LINE DAMAGED THE MAIN ROTOR SHAFT FAIRING, AND THE SECOND LINE CAUSED SCRATCHING ON THE FRONT OF THE MAIN VIEWING BUBBLE. BOTH LINES SNAPPED WHICH REDUCED ANY FURTHER DAMAGE. PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND THE HELICOPTER NORMALLY WITH NO VIBRATIONS OR POWER LOSS. HELICOPTER WAS INSPECTED BY THE PILOT WHO STATED HE CHECKED THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES AND HEAD ALONG WITH THE TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR. EVERYTHING WAS IN PERFECT CONDITION.