Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
Failure of the pilot to maintain sufficient altitude and tail rotor clearance from the terrain, while demonstrating rearward movement in a hover.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
On February 24, 1996, 1315 central standard time, a Robinson Helicopter, R22B, N8141L, was substantially damaged while hovering at the Garland/Dallas Fort Worth Heliplex, Garland, Texas. The commercial pilot and his passenger were not injured. Sky Helicopters of Garland, Texas was the operator of the helicopter. The helicopter had been hovering 10 minutes prior to the accident.
During an interview, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, and in a written statement, the pilot reported that he was demonstrating a reverse hover at the time of the accident. He stated that he was hovering to the rear with a tail low attitude when the tail rotor contacted the ground. Following the ground contact the pilot lost directional control due to the loss of anti-torque. The aircraft began to spin to the right and roll left until the left skid struck the ground. When the skid struck the ground the helicopter rolled on it's left side.
The pilot reported that there was no mechanical problems prior to the accident and that he was lower than five feet when hovering.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# FTW96LA131