Robinson R22 BETA N971SH
21 April 2007 · Van Horn, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 21 April 2007 at about 15:00 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N971SH, operated by Silver State Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Van Horn, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Van Horn, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Culberson County Airport (VHN)
- Coordinates
- 31.0578, -104.7839
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N971SH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Silver State Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- El Paso → Van Horn
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA07LA111
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
Clearance was not maintained after landing by the pilot of the other aircraft, which resulted in an on ground collision with the helicopter standing near the refueling pumps. The aircraft standing in the refueling area was a factor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The flight instructor of N971SH reported that after the flight instructor of N991RW had repositioned his helicopter close to the refueling station, he attempted to set his helicopter down in close proximity to N991RW to allow another group of helicopters closer access to the refueling station. After setting down and lowering the collective, the instructor of N971SH felt a "repeated thump" in the controls, prompting him to raise collective and move away from N991RW. The instructor of N991RW reported that after setting down and about one minute into the cool down period, he felt a "jerk" in the controls. A subsequent inspection of both aircraft revealed damage to both of the tops of the blades of N991RW and to at least one of the blades of N971SH."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robinson R22 BETA | N971SH | Silver State Helicopters | Substantial |
| Robinson R22 BETA | N991RW | Silver State Helicopters | Substantial |
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb 2007 | Robinson R22 BETA | Melbourne, Florida, United States | Silver State Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 21 Apr 2007 | Robinson R22 BETA | Spanish Fork, Utah, United States | Utah Helicopter | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 2007 | Robinson R22 BETA | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Rotorspins LLC | No injuries | - |
| 17 Jul 2007 | Robinson R22 | Bend, Oregon, United States | Leading Edge Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 20 Nov 2007 | Robinson R22 BETA | Ramona, California, United States | Silver State Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2007 | Robinson R22 BETA II | San Salvador, El Salvador | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Feb 2007 | Piper PA-30 | Lubbock, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 2007 | Luscombe 8A | Mason County, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2007 | Embraer EMB-145LR | Dallas, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 2007 | Cessna A188B | Happy, Texas, United States | Dudley McNeill | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Sep 2007 | Cessna 172S | Tyler, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2007 | Bell 47G-2A | Mercedes, Texas, United States | Hendrickson Flying Service | Minor injuries | - |