Pilot Debrief

ROBINSON R22 BETA II near Gillett, TX — 2013-02-01

Final reportCEN13LA148
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Date
2013-02-01
Location
Gillett, TX, USA
Aircraft
ROBINSON R22 BETA II
Registration
N3059Q
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Maneuvering

Probable cause

A loss of tail rotor effectiveness while manuevering at low altitude.

NTSB narrative

The pilot and a passenger were conducting an aerial hunt at low altitude. The pilot said he was about 20 feet above 30-foot-tall trees and flying into the wind slowly when the tail rotor "malfunctioned" and he lost control. The helicopter started spinning to the right, and the pilot initiated an autorotation. The helicopter landed hard and rolled over on its left side. The pilot stated that he thought the helicopter had lost tail rotor authority. Examination of the tail rotor found no evidence of a tail rotor malfunction or defects that would preclude normal operation. The pilot was operating the helicopter in a low airspeed, out of ground effect, high-power-demand flight condition, which was conducive to the development of loss of tail rotor effectiveness.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have avoided flying low near trees during the hog hunt.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 3 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents3

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