Mosier Robert S MOSQUITO XET N922RM
8 November 2014 · Angleton, Texas, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 8 November 2014 at about 16:00 local time, a Mosier Robert S MOSQUITO XET registered N922RM, operated by Charles Burgoon, was involved in an accident near Angleton, Texas, United States. One person was 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 16:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Angleton, Texas, United States
- Nearest airport
- Bailes Airport (7R9)
- Coordinates
- 29.1650, -95.4011
- Aircraft
- Mosier Robert S MOSQUITO XET
- Registration
- N922RM
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2011
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Charles Burgoon
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Angleton → Angleton
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN15LA042
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees during a precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection during which he failed to detect a loose drive belt, which resulted in an in-flight shudder.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he noticed the helicopter abruptly shudder during the crosswind turn. The pilot lowered the collective control, entered an autorotation, and turned back toward the airport. As he approached the runway area, the helicopter skids passed over a row of trees by about 5 or 10 ft. Immediately after the skids cleared the trees, the pilot began a cyclic flare, which resulted in the tail rotor striking a tree and a subsequent loss of directional control. Examination of the helicopter revealed that the belt for the secondary drive reduction unit was loose, which allowed the belt to jump the drive cogs on the pulley. The belt was loose due to excessive wear of the pulley, which resulted in an abrupt in-flight shudder. The helicopter operating manual preflight inspection includes a check for proper belt tension.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Jul 2014 | Cessna 177B | Georgetown, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 2014 | Crow MUSTANG II | Morton, Texas, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 25 Oct 2014 | Stol UC 1 | Jacksonville, Texas, United States | Yellow Peril Aero LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jun 2014 | Air Tractor AT 301 | Pearsall, Texas, United States | Smith Company Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 2014 | Smith AEROSTAR 601P | Austin, Texas, United States | Anderson David | Fatal | 1 |
| 4 Jun 2014 | Teunis STARDUSTER TOO SA300 | Fort Worth, Texas, United States | Carter Robert E | Serious injuries | - |