- Date
- February 24, 1996, 13:15 local (19:15 UTC)
- Place
- Garland, TX
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N8141LRobinson R22B
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 9, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960224002669A
- Case key
- 19770
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
Failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude and tail rotor clearance from the terrain, while demonstrating rearward movement in a hover.
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
While hovering, the pilot decided to demonstrate rearward hover to his passenger. The helicopter was less than five feet above ground level when the tail rotor contacted the ground. When the tail rotor struck the ground, directional control was lost, and the aircraft began to rotate to the right and roll left. The left skid contacted the ground causing the helicopter to roll to an inverted position. The pilot reported no mechanical problems with the aircraft.
Factual narrative
On February 24, 1996, 1315 central standard time, a Robinson Helicopter, R22B, N8141L, was substantially damaged while hovering at the Garland/Dallas Fort Worth Heliplex, Garland, Texas. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Sky Helicopters of Garland, Texas was the operator of the helicopter. The helicopter had been hovering 10 minutes prior to the accident.
During an interview, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, and in a written statement, the pilot reported that he was demonstrating a reverse hover at the time of the accident. He stated that he was hovering to the rear with a tail low attitude when the tail rotor contacted the ground. Following the ground contact the pilot lost directional control due to the loss of anti-torque. The aircraft began to spin to the right and roll left until the left skid struck the ground. When the skid struck the ground the helicopter rolled on it's left side.
The pilot reported that there was no mechanical problems prior to the accident and that he was lower than five feet when hovering.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8141L
- Reported as
- Robinson R22B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2413
- Airframe hours
- 1,341
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Sky Helicopters
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 29, 1995 · 89 hours before
- Departed
- T57
- Destination
- T57
- Airport
- T57 · Garland/Dfw Heliplex
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
- 21
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 426 total · 351 in this make and model · 363 as pilot in command · 72 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.