Robinson R-22 BETA accident near Borger, TX
On February 16, 2001, a Robinson R-22 BETA (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Borger, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 16, 2001
- Place
- Borger, TX
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22 BETA · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 35.610°N, 101.389°W
- NTSB ID
- 20010302X00535
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On February 15, 2001, approximately 2215 central standard time, a Robinson R-22 Beta helicopter, N4002M, struck an electrical pole and impacted terrain during a dark night cross-country flight near Borger, Texas. The helicopter was owned and operated by the two private pilots under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Both pilots received fatal injuries, and the helicopter was destroyed. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of departure from Gruver, Texas, approximately 2130, and fog was reported in the vicinity of Borger on the night of the accident. A flight plan was not filed for the personal flight with a planned destination of a private helipad near Amarillo, Texas, approximately 70 miles southwest of Gruver. A witness, who was the daughter of the pilots, stated that approximately 2145, the helicopter circled over her residence, which is located 10 nautical miles (nm) south of the Gruver Municipal Airport (E19), and then flew south toward Morse, Texas, along the planned route of flight. According to the witness, the pilots' planned route of flight was as follows: depart E19, follow Highway 136 south to Borger, follow Highway 207 south to Panhandle-Carson County Airport (T45), Panhandle, Texas, follow Interstate 60 west to Amarillo, and terminate at the private helipad. Another witness stated that approximately 2210 as she was driving to her residence, she observed a "low flying aircraft" descending from the clouds near the south side of Borger. The witness spotted a "light" through a clear patch in the clouds. The "light" descende
Probable cause
the pilot's inadvertent flight into instrument meteorological conditions and failure to maintain obstacle clearance. Contributing factors were the pilot's failure to obtain an updated preflight weather briefing and the dark night conditions.
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Browse: Texas · 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.
