- Date
- June 8, 2003, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Encinal, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N854WTRobinson R-22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 30, 2004
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20030608021569A
- Case key
- 57177
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. A contributing factor was the pilot's diverted attention.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
During a cattle herding flight, the pilot's attention was diverted by a bull running towards the helicopter. The pilot was trying to herd the bull through a gate, and was able to stop the bull while he was hovering about 5-10 feet agl. The pilot further reported that the bull suddenly started to run underneath the helicopter and he "pulled out of the way to avoid the bull." Subsequently, he "felt the helicopter contact some brush" and executed a 180-degree pedal turn when he "felt the helicopter begin to vibrate." The pilot then executed an auto rotational landing.
Factual narrative
On June 8, 2003, at 1100 central daylight time, a Robinson R-22 Beta helicopter, N854WT, was substantially damaged when it collided with a tree while maneuvering near Encinal, Texas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant of the helicopter, was not injured. The helicopter, registered to and operated by Smith Helicopters, Inc., of Laredo, Texas, was operating under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the cattle herding flight. The flight originated from a local staging area, approximately 0930.
The 1,500-hour pilot reported in the Pilot/Operator Aircraft Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), that after gathering and penning cows for an hour and a half, he spotted a bull not far from the cattle pens. He was trying to herd the bull through a gate, and was able to stop the bull while hovering about 5-10 feet agl. The pilot further reported that the bull suddenly started to run underneath the helicopter and he "pulled out of the way to avoid the bull." Subsequently, he "felt the helicopter contact some brush" and executed a 180-degree pedal turn when he "felt the helicopter begin to vibrate." He then executed an auto rotational landing.
Examination of the helicopter by an FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed that the aft section of the tail boom was separated, the tail rotor blades were damaged, and the tail rotor drive shaft was severed.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N854WT
- Reported as
- Robinson R-22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 3063
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- Encinal, 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
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Last flight review
- March 27, 2003
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 1,500 total · 1,330 in this make and model · 1,415 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 50 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 0° at 0 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.88 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N854WT · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.