ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 39412
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| Date: | Tuesday 16 December 1997 |
| Time: | 13:30 LT |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Airburst Helicopters Inc. |
| Registration: | N55TP |
| MSN: | 2215 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1992 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1281 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming HIO360 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Belle Vernon, Pennyslvania -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Pittsburgh, PA (KAGC) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot was performing an out-of-ground-effect hover with a 10 knot tailwind in a Robinson R-22. When the pilot raised the collective to maneuver, and the helicopter began to spin to the right. The helicopter spun four times, descended, and impacted the ground. The pilot had about 100 hours of helicopter experience, and about 10 hours of out-of-ground-effect hover experience. After the accident, the pilot told a police officer that he exceeded the limitations of the tail rotor. FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 90-95 stated all single main rotor helicopters were susceptible to loss of tail rotor effectiveness (LTE). The AC advised pilots that when maneuvering between hover and 30 knots to avoid; tailwinds, out of ground effect hover and high power demand such as lowspeed downwind turns. It also advised the pilots to be aware of wind direction and velocity. In 1995, the FAA sent a letter to all U.S helicopter manufactures recommending they include a discussion on LTE in the operator's handbooks and flight manuals. The Robinson Helicopter Company has not complied with that request.
Probable Cause: The pilot's improper out-of-ground hover procedure, which resulted in a loss of tailrotor effectiveness.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB NYC98LA043
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=55TP
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-Oct-2008 10:30 | ASN archive | Added |
| 22-Sep-2016 19:19 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:23 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 08-Apr-2024 11:29 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, Accident report] |
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