- Date
- June 16, 2020, 12:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- El Campo, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N797SHRobinson R22
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200616007659A
- Case key
- 101445
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 clearance from the rice vegetation, which resulted in the helicopter's impact with terrain.
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
According to the pilot of the helicopter, he was flying low-level about 20 mph, pollinating a rice field. He reported that he misjudged his operating altitude, and the helicopter contacted the rice vegetation. The helicopter entered an uncontrollable spin and impacted the rice field. The pilot reported that he was unharmed, but the helicopter was "totally destroyed". He added that the helicopter was operating normally, and the accident was due to "pilot error" in misjudging his altitude.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N797SH
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 (BETA)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3732
- Built
- 2004
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360 SERIES, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 11, 2020
- Departed
- El Campo, TX
- Destination
- El Campo, TX
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
- 28
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 2, 2020
- Flight hours
- 312 total · 82 in this make and model · 237.6 as pilot in command · 23.3 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days · 2.2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.9 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.