- Date
- October 26, 2017, 08:40 local (13:40 UTC)
- Place
- La Paloma, TX
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N22TZAirbus Helicopters EC 130
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171026020359A
- Case key
- 96271
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 separation of a weight from the gunner’s net, which struck the helicopter’s main rotor blade during flight.
Findings · 2
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
According to the pilot in the public helicopter, he was conducting a wildlife antipredation flight and maneuvering at a low altitude with two net gunners located on the left and right in the aft cabin. The pilot reported that he entered a left bank to pursue a deer. The deer was located "between our 8 and 9 o'clock position, and the net gunner made the net shot at the deer." The pilot observed the net miss the deer and simultaneously heard an unusual "whooshing noise" coming from the helicopter. He made a precautionary landing, and during the shutdown, he noticed what he described as an unusual discoloration of the main rotor disc. Examination of the main rotor blades revealed that one of the blades had a large hole in it, about 5 ft from the blade tip. The net that was fired at the deer was recovered and was found to be missing one of the weights that are normally attached to the net's corners. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to a main rotor blade. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot in the public use helicopter, he was conducting a wildlife anti-depredation flight, and maneuvering at a low altitude with two net gunners located on the left and right in the aft cabin. The pilot reported that he entered a left bank in pursuit of a deer. The deer was located, "between our 8 and 9 o'clock position, and the net gunner made the net shot at the deer." The pilot observed the net miss the deer and simultaneously heard an unusual "whooshing noise" coming from the helicopter. He made a precautionary landing, and during the shutdown, he noticed what he described as an unusual discoloration of the main rotor disc. An examination of the main rotor blades showed that one of the blades had a large hole in it, about 5ft from the blade tip. The net that was fired at the deer was recovered and was found to be missing one of the weights that are normally attached to the corners of the net. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to a main rotor blade. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N22TZ
- Reported as
- Airbus Helicopters EC 130 (T2)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 8016
- Built
- 2014
- Airframe hours
- 585.1
- Engine
- Safran Helicopter Engines Arriel 2D, 952 hp, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Air drop · Part 91
- Operator
- Richardson Aviation
- Registered owner
- Kestrel Holdings LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special); Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Unknown · October 11, 2017
- Departed
- Riviera, TX
- Destination
- Riviera, TX
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 20, 2017
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 8,411 total · 344 in this make and model · 8,243 as pilot in command · 75 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- KNQI, 24 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 2, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.