20220527009029I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Hampton, GA · May 27, 2022

Date: May 27, 2022 · 10:20 local
Place: Hampton, GA
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N794YT
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,182 total429 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

N794YTRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11541 · Built 2006 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II Engine modelLycoming IO-540-AE1A5Reciprocating

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 pilot was performing hover work in a 175? X 300? Grassy field enclosed by 50? Trees located 1.5 miles north of khmp. The pilot drifted to close to a small overhanging branch and noticed leaves in the downwash. Pilot didn?t feel anything in the controls or observe any changes in the helicopter performance. After returning to khmp, damage was found on one of the main rotor blades. The main rotor blade skin is peeled back where it joins the leading edge near the blade tip.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS PERFORMING HOVER WORK IN A 175? X 300? GRASSY FIELD ENCLOSED BY 50? TREES LOCATED 1.5 MILES NORTH OF KHMP. THE PILOT DRIFTED TO CLOSE TO A SMALL OVERHANGING BRANCH AND NOTICED LEAVES IN THE DOWNWASH. PILOT DIDN?T FEEL ANYTHING IN THE CONTROLS OR OBSERVE ANY CHANGES IN THE HELICOPTER PERFORMANCE. AFTER RETURNING TO KHMP, DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON ONE OF THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE SKIN IS PEELED BACK WHERE IT JOINS THE LEADING EDGE NEAR THE BLADE TIP.