- Date
- June 23, 2022, 10:55 local (14:55 UTC)
- Place
- Boonville, NC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2158TSchweizer 300 C
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220623010981A
- Case key
- 105374
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 helicopter’s impact with a non-biological object, which resulted in substantial damage to a main rotor blade.
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
The pilot stated that he was at an enroute altitude of 1,500 ft mean sea level (500 ft above ground level), tuning a radio to the destination frequency, when he looked up there was a “drone hovering” in the path of the helicopter. He reported that it struck the main rotor disk at the 2 o’clock position and it “disintegrated.” The pilot evaluated the helicopter for vibrations or damage and elected to return to the departure airport, which was 3.5 miles away. He subsequently landed the helicopter without issue and during the postflight examination, he noted substantial damage to one of the main rotor blades. A sample was taken at the site of the main rotor blade damage and tested negative for bird DNA. A search for the unmanned aerial system was performed, however, no device was located. No Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) authorizations were requested for the area at the time of the accident. Additionally, no operational waivers had been filed with the Federal Aviation Administration for unmanned aerial system operations in the area at the time of the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2158T
- Reported as
- Schweizer 300 C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- S1913
- Built
- 2008
- Airframe hours
- 1,800
- Engine
- Lycoming HIO-360-D1A, 190 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Destination
- INT · Winston Salem, NC
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ZEF · Elkin Muni, runway 7/25, 4,000 × 75 ft, asphalt
- 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
- 53
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- April 1, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 14,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 11,500 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 32 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- UKF, 15.5 nm away
- METAR
- SA 23/06/2022 15:35-> METAR KUKF 231535Z AUTO 13004KT 10SM CLR 26/20 A2997 RMK AO2=
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 19, 2022, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 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.