ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 171445
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| Date: | Tuesday 18 November 2014 |
| Time: | 17:28 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 BETA |
| Owner/operator: | North Australian Helicopters Pty Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-HPH |
| MSN: | 3988 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | La Belle Downs Station, 37 miles W of Batchelor, NT -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | La Belle Downs Station, Northern Territory |
| La Belle Downs Station, Northern Territory | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
During air work at 1,000 feet, the tail rotor drive system failed. The helicopter commenced an uncommanded spiral and landed heavily. The pilot and passenger were not injured and the aircraft was substantially damaged. According to the following summary from the official ATSB report into the accident:
"On 18 November 2014, at about 1728 Central Standard Time (CST), a Robinson R22 helicopter, registered VH-HPH (HPH), departed from La Belle Downs Station, Northern Territory, for a local flight to check the progress of a bush fire, with the pilot and one passenger on board.
About two minutes into the flight, on climb and at about 300 feet above ground level, the pilot felt a vibration through the tail rotor pedals. The pilot decided to return to La Belle Downs station, turned the helicopter to the right and started a descent. The pilot was unable to stop the turn and the helicopter continued to descend and turn to the right.
The helicopter started to spin in a tight circle and completed between five and six rotations before landing hard, bouncing once and then coming to a stop. The pilot performed the shutdown procedure and the pilot and passenger exited the helicopter. The pilot and passenger were uninjured. The helicopter was substantially damaged, including damage to the tail boom and both skids."
NOTE: Some contemporary press reports mis-report the crash location as "Lavelle Station". The correct locations is "La Belle Station (also known as Labelle Downs) a pastoral lease that operates as a cattle station in the Northern Territory. The property is situated approximately 59 kilometres (37 miles) west of Batchelor and 85 kilometres (53 miles) north of Darwin at approximate co ordinates: 13.11372°S 130.49363°E"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2014/aair/ao-2014-181.aspx
2. http://helihub.com/2014/11/18/18-nov-14-vh-hph-roibinson-r22-lavelle-station-australia/
3. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/40136/
4. http://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/au/HPH
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Belle_Station
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 20-Nov-2014 08:02 | Pineapple | Added |
| 20-Nov-2014 08:03 | harro | Updated [Time, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport] |
| 17-Oct-2016 20:02 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Jun-2022 12:29 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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