ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 177300
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| Date: | Tuesday 23 June 2015 |
| Time: | 07:00 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 BETA |
| Owner/operator: | Simon Gerald Klopper |
| Registration: | VH-RBT |
| MSN: | 1980 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1991 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Longridge Farm, 11 km West of Boyup Brook, WA -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Longridge Farm, Boyup Brook, WA |
| Jandakot, Perth, WA (YPJT) | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
After lift-off, about 30 feet above the ground the pilot reported that the canopy became shrouded in condensation. With a loss of visual reference, the pilot attempted to manoeuvre the helicopter to an area suitable for landing. During the attempt to land, the helicopter struck the ground and rolled on its side. The passenger has minor injuries and the helicopter was substantially damaged. According to the following summary from the official ATSB report into the accident:
"Early on the morning of 23 June 2015, the pilot prepared the Robinson R22 helicopter, VH-RBT for a private flight with one passenger from a property near Boyup Brook to Jandakot, Western Australia.
Although the area forecast indicated fog to the west of Boyup Brook, some 6 km away, the general area and intended flight path were completely clear. The pilot reported it was a cold clear morning with a frost and some fog present in a valley 200-300 metres down the slope from the take-off area.
The pilot completed preparations while waiting for first light. After lift-off, the pilot established the helicopter into a hover about 2-3 feet above the ground, and conducted a pedal turn prior to moving forward. Due to the down-sloping terrain, the helicopter was already about 15 feet above the ground soon after lift-off. As the pilot began to raise the collective, and with their attention momentarily inside the cockpit, the windscreen almost instantaneously fogged over. The pilot described this instant lack of external reference, as like being in a ‘white room’.
Despite attempts to bring the helicopter back safely onto the ground, the pilot unexpectedly felt the tail and skid strike the ground quite heavily. The pilot continued to work to regain control of the helicopter, but it fell onto its left side. The passenger sustained minor injuries but the pilot was uninjured. The helicopter was substantially damaged.
The operator had removed the cabin heater at the start of summer, and it had not been re-installed. The ATSB was unable to determine if this fogging would have occurred, had the heater been installed and operated."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2015/aair/ao-2015-064.aspx
2. http://helihub.com/2015/06/23/23-jun-15-vh-rbt-robinson-r22-boyup-brook-australia/
3. http://www.regosearch.com/aircraft/au/RBT
4. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/41874/
5. https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/6721561
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 25 June 2007 | N980SM | Voyager Helicopters | 0 | Tucson, Arizona |  |
sub |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Jun-2015 14:45 | Pineapple | Added |
| 18-Oct-2016 15:06 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Aug-2018 18:21 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Destination airport, Source] |
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