ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 272724
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| Date: | Friday 17 April 2015 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | ESCAPE AIRTOURS AND TRANSFERS CC |
| Registration: | ZS-RBS |
| MSN: | 4050 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | On a game farm south of Somerset East -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | |
| Nature: | |
| Departure airport: | Grahamstown aerodrome (FAGT) Eastern Cape province |
| Private air strip in Somerset East Eastern Cape province | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot, accompanied by a passenger, was conducting a darting flight at a Somerset East game farm when the accident occurred. The pilot was watching the fourth animal (a springbok) and directing the recovery vehicle when his focus was interrupted by a motor bike rider who was heading towards the herd of springboks. The pilot reported that at the height of approximately 130 feet above ground level (AGL), the helicopter started shaking. This was followed by the warning horn sounding, indicating a low rotor RPM/blade stall. The pilot instantly lowered the collective lever in an attempt to recover the RPM to the green arc, but without success. The helicopter impacted the ground heavily and was destroyed during the accident sequence. The occupants got out of the wreck with minor injuries. Both occupants were later rushed to a nearby hospital for medical assessment but were later released. The investigation revealed that the cause of the accident was insufficient power available to sustain hover, following an interruption of the pilot's operational focus. Probable Cause The helicopter entered into a vortex ring state during hover out-of-ground effect at a height of approximately 130ft above ground level and the pilot was unable to recover. Contributing Factor/s 1. Insufficient power available to sustain hover. 2. Induced power coordination as a result of pilot diverting his attention.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
S.A. CAA
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 28 July 2006 | N475SH | Silver State Helicopters LLC | 0 | Chino, California |  |
sub |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
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Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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