- Date
- April 6, 2020, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Seymour, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7007XRobinson R22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200406002859A
- Case key
- 101162
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 tree while maneuvering at low altitude.
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 herding cattle when the helicopter's tail rotor struck a tree branch. The helicopter began to yaw right and fully rotated twice as the pilot maneuvered toward open terrain. The pilot lowered the collective and rolled the throttle off to arrest the rotation. The helicopter stopped rotating and then landed hard. The tail rotor and empennage sustained substantial damage. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the helicopter reported that he found no preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
Factual narrative
The pilot was herding cattle when the helicopter's tailrotor struck a mesquite tree branch. The helicopter began a yaw to the right and a made 2 full rotations as the pilot maneuvered to open terrain. The pilot rolled the throttle off, stoppied the yaw, and the helicopter landed hard. The pilot did not report any mechanical anomalies which contributed to the accident. An examination of the helicopter conducted by inspectors from the Federal Aviation Administration did not reveal any mechanical anomalies.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7007X
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2785
- Built
- 1998
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360 SER, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Hawker Se 258022 Llc
- Registered owner
- Hawker Se 258022 Llc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Seymour, TX
- Destination
- Seymour, TX
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 40
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Restraint
- 3-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 180° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,400 ft broken
- Temperature
- 66 °F, dew point 59 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KF05, 35 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 418 KB 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.