ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 295323
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| Date: | Monday 25 August 2003 |
| Time: | 09:45 LT |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Holt Helicopters Inc. |
| Registration: | N731BA |
| MSN: | 3013 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1999 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1954 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-J2A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Ozona, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Ozona, TX |
| Ozona, TX | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the flight, the pilot was following a hog up the side of a rocky ridgeline at approximately 25 feel agl. As the helicopter started to overtake the hog, the pilot pulled the helicopter into a hover to keep from over flying it. The pilot stated the helicopter "hit some dirty air and lost some tail rotor effectiveness." The pilot then "added left pedal and increased power, but the helicopter didn't respond." The pilot further stated he "had no altitude, or airspeed to make a recovery." Subsequently, the helicopter spun to the right and settled into the side of the ridge coming to rest on its left side. According to FAA's Advisory Circular 90-95, loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE) "is a critical, low-speed aerodynamic flight characteristic that can result in an uncommanded rapid yaw rate which does not subside of its own accord and, if not corrected, can result in the loss of aircraft control. LTE is not related to a maintenance malfunction and may occur in varying degrees in all single main rotor helicopters in some of the conditions conducive to LTE include a high power setting, low airspeed, and a tailwind or left crosswind."
Probable Cause: The pilot's decision to hover out of ground effect, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB FTW03LA203
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Oct-2022 07:10 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
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