Robinson R22 BETA accident near Belle Vernon, PA
On December 16, 1997, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Belle Vernon, PA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- December 16, 1997
- Place
- Belle Vernon, PA
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 40.119°N, 79.859°W
- NTSB ID
- 20001208X09363
NTSB summary
On December 16, 1997, about 1230 Eastern Standard Time, a Robinson R22 BETA helicopter, N55TP, was substantially damaged when it collided with the ground during an uncontrolled descent near Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot received minor injuries, and the passenger was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the local, aerial photography flight, that departed the Allegheny County Airport (AGC), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. No flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, he departed Runway 5 at AGC, where the winds were from the southwest. The pilot proceeded to the area to be photographed, about 15 miles south of AGC. While en route, smoke stacks and the helicopter's crab angle confirmed a southwesterly wind. When the helicopter arrived at the area to be photographed, the pilot entered an out-of-ground-effect (OGE) hover, with an approximate 10 knot tailwind. During the hover, the pilot raised the collective to maneuver for another series of photographs. The helicopter began to spin to the right. The helicopter spun to the right about four times, descended, and impacted the ground with no forward movement. The pilot stated that the helicopter hovered "very easily" with about 21 to 22 inches of manifold pressure, and that he did not experience any problems with the engine or helicopter. The pilot was asked about recovery procedures for a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. He stated the collective should be lowered, and forward speed should be attained to "fly out of it"; or reduc
Probable cause
The pilot's improper out-of-ground hover procedure, which resulted in a loss of tailrotor effectiveness.
More accidents in PA
- Boeing B-737-300, Sep 8, 1994
- Boeing 757, Sep 11, 2001
- British Aerospace J-3101, May 21, 2000
- Bell UH-1N, May 29, 2008
- Beech A36, Jul 30, 1989
Browse: Pennsylvania · Robinson aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
