- Date
- February 14, 2020, 10:55 local (16:55 UTC)
- Place
- Marfa, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N441KARobinson R44
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 25, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20200214002529A
- Case key
- 100949
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 clearance from a fence during low-altitude maneuvering.
Findings · 3
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
The pilot reported that he was flying the helicopter parallel to a 10-ft-tall fence while herding cows into a livestock pen. While maneuvering, the tail rotor struck the fence, and the helicopter spun multiple times. The helicopter ascended about 10 ft, and the pilot retarded the throttle and lowered the collective to the full-down position to minimize the rapid right spin. The helicopter impacted the ground and came to rest upright. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor drive system and tailboom.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that he was flying parallel to a 10 ft barbed wire fence while herding cows into a livestock pen. While maneuvering, the helicopter's tail rotor struck the fence and the helicopter spun multiple times to the right. The helicopter ascended about 10 ft and the pilot retarded the throttle and lowered the collective to the full down position to minimize the rapid right spin. The helicopter impacted the ground and came to rest upright causing damage to the tail rotor drive system and tail boom.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N441KA
- Reported as
- Robinson R44 (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10824
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 2,680
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 240 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 21, 2019
- Departed
- Marfa, TX
- Destination
- Marfa, TX
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, ADS-B
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
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 19, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 13,465 total · 448 in this make and model · 51 in the last 90 days · 34 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 48 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.26 inHg
- Observed at
- KMRF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 2, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.