Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Redrock, New Mexico 88055
Tuesady, October 30, 2001 13:15 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The helicopter was being utilized for a cattle roundup. The helicopter departed the cattle pens to the east-northeast toward a draw, which leads into a canyon from the cattle pens. The elevation was approximately 5,000 feet at the cattle pens with an upslope greater than 15 degrees toward the canyon. The wind in the canyon was from the south-southwest at 10 mph gusting to 15 mph, with a temperature of 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit. The helicopter impacted the upslope of the canyon about 100 feet below the ridge at an elevation of 5,080 feet. Physical deformation of the main rotor blades was consistent with tree impact along the leading edges. The pilot had accumulated 695.4 hours of flight time in the accident make and model aircraft. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of pre-impact flight control malfunction or airframe or system failure. The helicopter was found to be within weight and balance limits. The density altitude was calculated at 7,346 feet at the time of the accident. At the calculated gross weight of 1,292 pounds, the maximum altitude to hover out of ground effect (OGE) is 5,200 feet, and the maximum altitude to hover in ground effect (IGE) is 9,200 feet.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with terrain. Contributing factors were the mountainous terrain and high density altitude.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 10/30/2001 |
| Event Day of the Week | Tuesday |
| Time of Event | 1315 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Redrock |
| Event State | NEW MEXICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 88055 |
| Event Date Year | 2001 |
| Event Date Month | 10 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 324937N |
| Event Location Longitude | 1084744W |
| Event Location Airport | -- |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | -- |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | Off Airport/Airstrip |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | -- |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Witness |
| Time of the weather observation | |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | -- |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | -- |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | -- |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 27 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -- |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 205 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 15 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | -- |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 7249 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Serious |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | 1 |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | 1 |
| Injury Total All | 2 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 13338 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Operations Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Oct 30 2001 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 2030 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | May 13 2003 12:26PM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\MONR |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Albuquerque, New Mexico |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8373T |
| NTSB Number | FTW02LA026 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Robinson |
| Aircraft Model | R22 Beta II |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 2746 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 1370 |
| Aircraft Category | Helicopter |
| Aircraft Registration Class | U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 2 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 26 2001 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 31 |
| Airframe Hours | 1196.4 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Holt Helicopters, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | P. O. Box 1669 1 1/2 West HWY 90 |
| Aircraft Owner City | Uvalde |
| Aircraft Owner State | TX |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 78802 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | -- |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | -- |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Other Work Use |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | -- |
| Departure City | Redrock |
| Departure State | NM |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1315 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | dest & departure same, accident can occur anywhere |
| Destination Airport Code | -- |
| Destination City | -- |
| Destination State | -- |
| Destination Country | -- |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Maneuvering |
| Report sent to ICAO? | No |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 26 2003 4:39PM |
| User who most recently changed record | CASH |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | -- |
| Runway Length | -- |
| Runway Width | -- |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |