Schweizer 300 C N2158T

Summary

On 23 June 2022 at about 14:55 local time, a Schweizer 300 C registered N2158T was involved in an accident near Boonville, North Carolina, 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.

Date

23 June 2022 at 14:55

Classification

Accident

Location

Boonville, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Elkin Muni (ZEF)

Coordinates

36.2603, -80.7191

Aircraft

Schweizer 300 C

Registration

N2158T

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Flight Test

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Unknown → Winston Salem

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA290

Nobody was injured.

The helicopter’s impact with a non-biological object, which resulted in substantial damage to a main rotor blade.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot stated that he was at an enroute altitude of 1,500 ft mean sea level (500 ft above ground level), tuning a radio to the destination frequency, when he looked up there was a “drone hovering” in the path of the helicopter. He reported that it struck the main rotor disk at the 2 o’clock position and it “disintegrated.” The pilot evaluated the helicopter for vibrations or damage and elected to return to the departure airport, which was 3.5 miles away. He subsequently landed the helicopter without issue and during the postflight examination, he noted substantial damage to one of the main rotor blades. A sample was taken at the site of the main rotor blade damage and tested negative for bird DNA. A search for the unmanned aerial system was performed, however, no device was located. No Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) authorizations were requested for the area at the time of the accident. Additionally, no operational waivers had been filed with the Federal Aviation Administration for unmanned aerial system operations in the area at the time of the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.