Robinson R22 BETA N387AC
25 February 2009 · O'Donnell, Texas, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 25 February 2009 at about 20:00 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N387AC was involved in an accident near O'Donnell, Texas, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. 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 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- O'Donnell, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Lamesa Municipal Airport (2F5)
- Coordinates
- 32.9203, -101.0761
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N387AC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Lemesa → Lemesa
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN09CA180
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control while performing a quick stop maneuver to an out of ground effect (OGE) hover. Contributing to the accident was the high density altitude and near calm wind condition.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot was conducting a predator control mission when he spotted wild hogs in an approximate 20-acre field of Salt Cedar trees. The pilot made a quick stop at an out-of-ground effect (OGE) hover in an attempt to move the hogs out in the open. The pilot stated that the low rotor RPM horn and light activated. He immediately stopped to regain rotor RPM. As the aircraft approached the edge of the trees towards an open field, the wind stopped and the rotor dropped to approximately 90 percent. The pilot observed an increase in airframe vibration followed by a hard left roll. The helicopter main rotor blades struck the ground in a 90-degree bank and came to rest on its left side. The pilot was not injured and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The pilot stated that the approximate gross weight at the time of the accident was 1,370 pounds. The helicopter performance charts indicated maximum weight for out of ground effect hover was 1,320 pounds for the weather conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jun 2009 | Robinson R22 BETA | Morristown, Arizona, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Jul 2009 | Robinson R22 BETA | Jerome, Arizona, United States | Guidance Helicopters, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 29 Apr 2009 | Robinson R22 BETA | Harlingen, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Apr 2009 | Robinson R22 BETA | New Braunfels, Texas, United States | Spitzer Matthew | No injuries | - |
| 14 Oct 2009 | Robinson R22 BETA | Tahlequah, Oklahoma, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 10 Mar 2009 | Robinson R22 | Midland, Texas, United States | Registration Pending | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2009 | American Legend AL-3C | McKinney, Texas, United States | McRight-Smith Aviation, LP | No injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2009 | Beechcraft A36 | Refugio, Texas, United States | Aero Mark JM LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 2009 | Beechcraft E18S | Jones Creek, Texas, United States | Brazoria County | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2009 | Meyers OTW | Haskell, Texas, United States | Ashbach Richard P | No injuries | - |
| 11 Dec 2009 | Piper PA-30 | Port Mansfield, Texas, United States | Harvey W. Kiniken, Jr | Fatal | 2 |
| 6 Oct 2009 | Beechcraft 100 | Aurora, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |