Robinson R22 BETA N3070S
24 September 2011 · Douglas, Wyoming, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 24 September 2011 at about 22:00 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N3070S, operated by James P Hoeffler, was involved in an accident near Douglas, Wyoming, United States. One person was 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 22:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Douglas, Wyoming, United States
- Nearest airport
- Douglas Airport (DGW)
- Coordinates
- 42.7969, -105.3858
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N3070S
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- James P Hoeffler
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sheridan → Douglas
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR11CA467
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain yaw control of the helicopter while hover taxiing in gusty wind conditions.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the pilot, while hover taxiing downwind, a gust of wind pushed the tail 90 degrees to the left, which forced the helicopter to descend into the pavement. The pilot reported that the front and rear crossover tubes between the left and right landing skid assemblies were bent, and that the tail cone was wrinkled at the fuselage attach points.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May 2011 | Robinson R22 | Julia Creek, Australia, Australia | Versatile Helicopter Services | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Oct 2011 | Robinson R22 BETA | Hibbing, Minnesota, United States | Casey M. Hansen | No injuries | - |
| 20 Jul 2011 | Robinson R22 BETA | Dayton, New Jersey, United States | Nassau Helicopters Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Dec 2011 | Robinson R22 BETA | Waipahu, Hawaii, United States | Mauna Loa Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jun 2011 | Robinson R22 BETA | Prescott, Arizona, United States | Guidance Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 2011 | Robinson R22 BETA II | North Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | 702 Helicopters | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 2011 | Aviat A-1C-200 | Casper, Wyoming, United States | Christopher Burrows | No injuries | - |
| 12 Aug 2011 | Richmond Jim R CCK-1865 | Dubois, Wyoming, United States | Neil Neumeyer | No injuries | - |
| 13 Dec 2011 | Bell 407 | Rock Springs, Wyoming, United States | Guardian Flight | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Jan 2011 | Piper PA-18-180 | Shoshoni, Wyoming, United States | United States Department Agriculture | No injuries | - |
| 16 Dec 2011 | Beechcraft J35 | Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States | Becker Lawrence D | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 2011 | Ryan NAVION A | Torrington, Wyoming, United States | Liddle Cable Co Inc | Minor injuries | - |