Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA II accident near Cotulla, TX
On March 6, 2010, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA II (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Cotulla, TX. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- March 6, 2010
- Place
- Cotulla, TX
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA II · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 28.602°N, 99.338°W
- NTSB ID
- 20100306X05331
Official records · CEN10FA139
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On March 6, 2010, about 1120 central standard time, a Robinson R22 Beta II, N922SH, was substantially damaged during impact with terrain while maneuvering at low altitude at the Agave Ranch near Cotulla, Texas. The commercial pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by a private individual. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 local flight. The aerial hog hunting flight was the sixth flight of the morning and had departed around 1110. According to individuals at the Agave Ranch, they were contacted about providing an Axis deer hunt for the accident weekend. During the initial arrangements, the hunters were offered an aerial hog hunt in addition to the deer hunt, to which they agreed. To facilitate the aerial hog hunt, the ranch manager contacted the helicopter owner and arranged for the owner to furnish the helicopter, pilot, shotgun, and ammunition. Following the hunt the helicopter owner would provide an invoice for payment. On the morning of the accident, the pilot arrived at the ranch around 0900 towing the two-seat helicopter on a trailer. The pilot provided a safety briefing to the four hunters to include proper use of the shotgun. The pilot also mentioned that each flight would be approximately 20 minutes in length, and that he would be operating the helicopter "light" on fuel so the helicopter would be more maneuverable. An initial flight of 5 to 10 minutes was conducted with the ranch manager so he could point out the ra
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion as a result of the pilot's inadequate fuel planning. Contributing to the accident was the low-altitude operating environment that would not allow for a successful autorotation after the loss of engine power.
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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.
