- Date
- November 10, 2021, 13:30 local (19:30 UTC)
- Place
- Freer, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7198ARobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Settling with power/vortex ring state
- 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
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20211110019189A
- Case key
- 104246
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 encounter with ‘settling with power’ while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in a rapid descent and subsequent hard landing.
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 the purpose of the flight was to capture deer on a private ranch. About 30 minutes into the flight, while the helicopter was following a deer and about 20 ft above the ground, the pilot turned downwind and felt the helicopter shutter. He immediately realized that he got into a state of “settling with power.” The pilot reported that he attempted to keep the helicopter straight, flat, and upright as it contacted the ground. The helicopter bounced about 3 times before coming to a stop upright. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades and the tail boom. The pilot reported there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7198A
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3216
- Built
- 2001
- Airframe hours
- 6,424
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying J Services LLC
- Registered owner
- Flying J Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 21, 2021
- Equipment
- None
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
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 21, 2021
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 6,760 total · 3,590 in this make and model · 6,760 as pilot in command · 117 in the last 90 days · 60 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 14 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.83 inHg
- Observed at
- KNOG, 30 nm away
- METAR
- KNOG 1020562 AUTO 15014G20KT I0SM SCT055 29/16 A2983 RMK AO2 SLP082 6//// T02940\6l 56036 PNO $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 5, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.2 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.