- Date
- August 15, 2022, 08:15 local (15:15 UTC)
- Place
- Ely, NV · open desert terrain
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N500ARHughes Helicopters 369E
- 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
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20220815008049A
- Case key
- 105741
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 terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Findings · 3
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 reported that, he was using a helicopter to drive horses and misjudged his height above the terrain when a horse unexpectedly turned toward him. He pulled back on the cyclic, the tail rotor struck the terrain, and the helicopter immediately started a yaw to the right. The pilot rolled the throttle off to slow the turn and cushioned the landing by adding collective. Once outside the helicopter the pilot noticed that the tail rotor driveshaft had sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N500AR
- Reported as
- Hughes Helicopters 369E
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0149E
- Built
- 1985
- Airframe hours
- 5,248.9
- Engine
- Rolls Royce 250-C20R, 450 horsepower, turbo shaft
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Operator
- Helicopter Roundup Service LLC
- Registered owner
- Helicopter Roundup Service LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 30, 2022
- Departed
- KELY · Ely, NV
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Handheld GPS
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
- 46
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 10,069 total · 1,011 in this make and model · 8,916 as pilot in command · 150 in the last 90 days · 61 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F, dew point 52 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.25 inHg
- Observed at
- KELY, 23 nm away
- METAR
- KELY 151453Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 16/11 A3025 RMK AO2 SLP152 T01610106 53004 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 13, 2022, 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.