Robinson R22 N456PH

Summary

On 10 March 2009 at about 18:00 local time, a Robinson R22 registered N456PH, operated by Registration Pending, was involved in an accident near Midland, Texas, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

10 March 2009 at 18:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Midland, Texas, United States

Coordinates

32.0333, -102.0167

Aircraft

Robinson R22

Registration

N456PH

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Registration Pending

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Midland

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN09LA201

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a pole.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

A local rancher contacted the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) and said there was a 2-year-old wrecked helicopter on his property, and he wanted permission to dispose of it. Unaware of such an accident, an FAA inspector went to the site and confirmed that an accident had occurred but had never been reported. He said that it appeared the helicopter had either been taking off or landing between two buildings when the main rotor blades struck a post. The uninjured pilot reportedly extricated himself and walked away. An examination of the helicopter revealed severed main rotor blades and a fractured and buckled transmission mast. The tail boom was severed just forward of the tail rotor, and separated at the engine cowling. The pilot's name does not appear in FAA's pilot database.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.