ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 277045
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| Date: | Saturday 2 April 2022 |
| Time: | 09:30 LT |
| Type: |  Hughes 269A (TH-55A Osage) |
| Owner/operator: | Tri County Rentals And Sales Inc |
| Registration: | N7057L |
| MSN: | 1281052 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1967 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 13948 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming HIO-360-B1A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | near Fort White, Columbia County, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Lake City, FL (15FL) |
| Trenton, FL | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The weather when the non-instrument-rated helicopter pilot initiated the flight included a ceiling of 250 ft mean sea level (msl) and visibility of ½ mile, which corresponded to instrument meteorological conditions. After flying for 15 minutes, the helicopter 'entered a wall of fog.' The pilot attempted to turn the helicopter around and return to an area of better visibility; however, the tail rotor impacted trees. The pilot did not realize that the helicopter was in a right turn and reduced engine power. The helicopter descended to ground in a bank, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, tailboom, and rotor blades. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. According to the helicopter owner's maintenance and flight manual, 'instrument flight [is] prohibited.'
Probable Cause: The non-instrument-rated pilot's decision to fly a visual flight rules only helicopter in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ERA22LA180
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N7057L
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 03-Apr-2022 02:52 | Geno | Added |
| 03-Apr-2022 05:39 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 03-Apr-2022 06:01 | harro | Updated [Location] |
| 03-Apr-2022 07:31 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Apr-2022 12:48 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Apr-2022 15:04 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Apr-2022 15:14 | RobertMB | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 07-Jul-2022 18:57 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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