ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 310290
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| Date: | Saturday 1 April 2023 |
| Time: | 07:23 LT |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | Elkhorn Aviation Inc |
| Registration: | N462BA |
| MSN: | 12265 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 4077 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Elko Regional Airport (EKO/KEKO), Elko, NV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Executive |
| Departure airport: | Elko, NV |
| Elko, NV | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The purpose of the flight was aerial animal control. The pilot reported that while flying at about 30kts and 50 ft above the ground and during a sweeping turn to avoid the effects of an estimated 30 kt tailwind at low altitude, a strong wind gust occurred in the path of the tailwind, which led to an uncontrolled descent rate. Unable to arrest the descent rate, the pilot executed a run-on landing. Environmental conditions weakened the pilot's depth perception, which resulted in a tail strike that sheared off the tail boom. The main rotor blades contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled on its side, substantially damaging the fuselage and tail boom. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain sufficient altitude and airspeed in gusting tailwind conditions that resulted in an unrecoverable descent and impact with terrain.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR23LA145
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Apr-2023 12:42 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 26-Oct-2023 06:49 | ASN Update Bot | Updated |
| 26-Oct-2023 06:50 | harro | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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