- Date
- July 3, 2011, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Katy, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N72DCSchweizer 269C
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 22, 2011
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20110703013639A
- Case key
- 80966
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm during a low-altitude maneuvering flight.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
According to the pilot, during an aerial application flight, the helicopter pilot was flying between 6 and 7 feet above the ground, at an airspeed of 20 knots. While maneuvering, the pilot encountered a low rotor rpm situation and the helicopter started to settle. As soon as the helicopter descended, the landing skid became tangled in the rice plants, and the helicopter came to rest on its side. During the collision with terrain, the tail boom and main rotor separated from the fuselage. An examination of the helicopter and its systems revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot was flying between six and seven feet above the ground, at an airspeed of 20 knots, over a field of rice to cross-pollinate the crop. The pilot stated that he encountered a low rotor rpm situation and the helicopter started to settle. As soon as the helicopter descended, the landing skid became tangled in the rice plants, the helicopter impacted the rice field, and came to rest on its side. During the collision with terrain, the tail boom and main rotor separated from the fuselage. An examination of the helicopter and its systems, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, revealed no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N72DC
- Reported as
- Schweizer 269C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1624
- Airframe hours
- 2,094
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360 SER, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Dylan Aviation LLC
- Registered owner
- Dylan Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- AAIP · June 29, 2011
- Departed
- Brookshire, TX
- Destination
- Brookshire, TX
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 31
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 28, 2011
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 337 total · 215 in this make and model · 282 as pilot in command · 130 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGR
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 22, 2011, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.3 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.