- Date
- March 31, 1998, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Riviera, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N2628BRobinson R22 Beta
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 8, 1998
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19980331004859A
- Case key
- 20564
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 terrain clearance while performing an evasive maneuver to avoid a charging bull, resulting in a tail rotor blade strike and the failure of the tail rotor drive shaft. Factors were the charging bull and the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
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
The pilot was using the helicopter to herd cattle and was attempting to move a bull towards a corral when the animal charged the helicopter. As the pilot maneuvered to avoid the bull, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the water in a stock tank (pond), resulting in failure of the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot performed an autorotation. The helicopter spun twice to the right, touched down in a level attitude in the stock tank, and rolled onto its right side.
Factual narrative
On March 31, 1998, at 1230 central standard time, a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, N2628B, registered to and operated by Mesquite Helicopter Services, Inc., of Alice, Texas, was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a tail rotor ground strike while hovering near Riviera, Texas. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. No flight plan was filed and visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Title 14 CFR Part 91 local business flight.
The pilot reported that he was using the helicopter to herd cattle. With the helicopter "at an altitude of 3-5 feet AGL," he was attempting to move a bull towards a corral when the animal charged the helicopter. As the pilot maneuvered to avoid the bull, the helicopter's tail rotor contacted the water in a stock tank (pond), resulting in failure of the tail rotor drive shaft. The pilot performed an autorotation. The helicopter "spun twice" to the right, touched down in a level attitude in the stock tank, and rolled onto its right side.
According to the pilot, the helicopter "came to rest on its right side in about 2 1/2 feet of water." He reported that the fuselage was dented, the main rotors were "severely bent," and the tail cone was "chopped."
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2628B
- Reported as
- Robinson R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0771
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-B2C, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Mesquite Helicopter Services
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 12,000 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 11,500 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 40 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 130° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F
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 N2628B · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.