20200616007659A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 · El Campo, TX · June 16, 2020

Date: June 16, 2020 · 15:00 local
Place: El Campo, TX
Phase of flight: Other, Specify
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N797SH
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN20CA230
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R22
Reported engine: Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 312 total80 in this make and model23 in the last 90 days

N797SHRegistration cancelled Dec 4, 2021 · Robinson Helicopter R22S/N 3732 · Built 2004 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 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.

The helicopter was low level flying approximately 20 mph pollinating a rice field. Pilot misjudged the altitude that he was at and eventually realized he was too low, but by that point it was too late. A part of the helicopter caught the rice field, and the aircraft entered into an uncontrollable spin. The pilot reported the aircraft operated completely normal at all times. The pilot stated he was completely unharmed and the helicopter was totally destroyed. Pilot attribute this accident to pilot error having misjudged the altitude

As the FAA filed it

THE HELICOPTER WAS LOW LEVEL FLYING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH POLLINATING A RICE FIELD. PILOT MISJUDGED THE ALTITUDE THAT HE WAS AT AND EVENTUALLY REALIZED HE WAS TOO LOW, BUT BY THAT POINT IT WAS TOO LATE. A PART OF THE HELICOPTER CAUGHT THE RICE FIELD, AND THE AIRCRAFT ENTERED INTO AN UNCONTROLLABLE SPIN. THE PILOT REPORTED THE AIRCRAFT OPERATED COMPLETELY NORMAL AT ALL TIMES. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS COMPLETELY UNHARMED AND THE HELICOPTER WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED. PILOT ATTRIBUTE THIS ACCIDENT TO PILOT ERROR HAVING MISJUDGED THE ALTITUDE

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 CEN20CA230Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · Data collectionFinal reportEl Campo, TXThe pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from the rice vegetation, which resulted in the helicopter's impact with terrain.Jun 16, 2020 · Substantial damage