Thursday, March 02, 2017

Robinson R22 BETA, N7095A: Accident occurred February 18, 2017 in Holbrook, Navajo County, Arizona (and) Incident occurred December 27, 2016 in Snowflake, Navajo County, Arizona

Aviation Accident Final Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

NTSB Identification: WPR17LA068
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 18, 2017 in Holbrook, AZ
Probable Cause Approval Date: 05/25/2017
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA, registration: N7095A
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

The private pilot was conducting a personal local flight in the helicopter. The pilot stated that he was flying at a low altitude over a cow pasture and descended to look at the cows. The helicopter was operating at 10 knots with a 7-knot headwind when the pilot initiated a 180° turn, which resulted in a tailwind condition and a subsequent uncommanded descent. The pilot took remedial actions, but the helicopter landed hard, and the main rotor blades severed the tailboom. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. It is likely that the helicopter lost effective translational lift during the turn from a headwind to a tailwind condition and that the pilot failed to compensate for the loss of translational lift, which resulted in the uncontrolled descent. 

The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows:
The pilot’s failure to compensate for a loss of effective translational lift while turning from an upwind to a downwind condition at a low altitude and low airspeed, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control.

On February 18, 2017, about 0800 mountain standard time, the pilot of a Robinson R22 Beta, N7095A, experienced a loss of helicopter control while maneuvering in a turn and landed hard in an open field near Holbrook, Arizona. The private pilot/owner operated the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed from a private residence about 0715 the morning of the accident.

According to the pilot's written statement, he departed from his brother's residence about 0715 with the intent of flying around Holbrook on a personal flight. They over flew a cow pasture, and descended to look at the cows. The pilot reported his airspeed was about 10 knots with a 7-knot headwind. He maneuvered the helicopter in a 180-degree turn and the helicopter started an un-commanded descent. He pulled cyclic control, which responded by lowering engine and main rotor blade rpm; he tried to lower and increase throttle, and flared to land; however, the helicopter landed hard. The main rotor blades contacted and subsequently severed the tail boom.

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.

Aviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

NTSB Identification: WPR17LA068 
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 18, 2017 in Holbrook, AZ
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA, registration: N7095A
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On February 18, 2017, about 0800 mountain standard time, the pilot of a Robinson R22 Beta, N7095A, experienced a loss of helicopter control while maneuvering in a turn and landed hard in an open field near Holbrook, Arizona. The private pilot/owner operated the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91, as a personal flight. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed from a private residence about 0715 the morning of the accident.

According to the pilot's written statement, he departed from his brother's residence about 0715 with the intent of flying around Holbrook on a personal flight. They over flew a cow pasture, and descended to look at the cows. The pilot reported his airspeed was about 10 knots with a 7-knot headwind. He maneuvered the helicopter in a 180-degree turn and the helicopter started an un-commanded descent. He pulled cyclic control, which responded by lowering engine and main rotor blade rpm; he tried to lower and increase throttle, and flared to land; however, the helicopter landed hard. The main rotor blades contacted and subsequently severed the tail boom.

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident. 

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office: Scottsdale, Arizona 

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board:  https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf

http://registry.faa.gov/N7095A

NTSB Identification: WPR17LA068

14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Saturday, February 18, 2017 in Holbrook, AZ
Aircraft: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA, registration: N7095A
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.

On February 18, 2017, about 0800 mountain standard time, a Robinson R22 Beta, N7095A, landed hard in an open field near Holbrook, Arizona, after the pilot experienced a loss of helicopter control while maneuvering. The private pilot/owner operated the helicopter as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot and one passenger were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local area flight and no flight plan had been filed. The flight departed from a private residence about 0715 the morning of the accident.

According to the pilot's written statement, he departed from his brothers residence about 0715 with the intent of flying around Holbrook on a personal flight. They overflew and descended over a cow pasture to look at the cows. The pilot reported his airspeed was about 10 knots with a 7 knot headwind. He maneuvered the helicopter in a 180-degree turn and the helicopter lost lift. He pulled cyclic, which responded by lowering engine and main rotor blade rpm; he tried to lower and increase throttle, and flared to land; however, the helicopter landed hard. The main rotor blades contacted and subsequently severed the tail boom.

The pilot stated that there were no mechanical problems that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.

While landing on a flatbed, the rotor struck the head of a person on the ground.

Date: 27-DEC-16
Time: 23:41:00Z
Regis#: N7095A
Aircraft Make: ROBINSON
Aircraft Model: R22
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: MINOR
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: NONE
Activity: UNKNOWN
Flight Phase: LANDING (LDG)
City: SNOWFLAKE
State: ARIZONA

Rotorcraft landed in a pasture and was powering down when the ground crew was to refuel the rotorcraft was struck in the back of the head by a rotor blade, requiring transport to a hospital and at least two (2) stitches.   

Date: 27-DEC-16
Time: 23:41:00Z
Regis#: N709FA
Aircraft Make: ROBINSON
Aircraft Model: R22
Event Type: INCIDENT
Highest Injury: MINOR
Aircraft Missing: No
Damage: UNKNOWN
Activity: PERSONAL
Flight Phase: STANDING (STD)
Operation: 91
City: SNOWFLAKE
State: ARIZONA

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