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| Date: | Monday 15 August 2022 |
| Time: | 08:15 LT |
| Type: |  Hughes 369E |
| Owner/operator: | Helicopter Roundup Service LLC |
| Registration: | N500AR |
| MSN: | 0149E |
| Year of manufacture: | 1985 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 5248 hours |
| Engine model: | Rolls Royce 250-C20R |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | approx 30 miles N of Ely, NV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Unknown |
| Departure airport: | Ely-Yelland Airport, NV (ELY/KELY) |
| Ely, NV | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that, he was using a helicopter to drive horses and misjudged his height above the terrain when a horse unexpectedly turned toward him. He pulled back on the cyclic, the tail rotor struck the terrain, and the helicopter immediately started a yaw to the right. The pilot rolled the throttle off to slow the turn and cushioned the landing by adding collective. Once outside the helicopter the pilot noticed that the tail rotor driveshaft had sustained substantial damage.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB WPR22LA305
FAA register: https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=500AR
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N500AR/history/20220815/1445Z/KELY/L%2039.38951%20-114.92260
Location
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 15-Aug-2022 21:19 | Captain Adam | Added |
| 16-Aug-2022 00:40 | johnwg | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Nature, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 01:26 | RobertMB | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 01:32 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 01:33 | RobertMB | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 06:17 | AgOps | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 06:57 | Aerossurance | Updated [Nature, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 07:23 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 07:26 | RobertMB | Updated [Source, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 12:51 | johnwg | Updated [Time, Total occupants, Location, Damage, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 16:16 | AgOps | Updated [Nature, Source, ] |
| 16-Aug-2022 16:28 | johnwg | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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