On November 13, 2002, a Robinson R22 BETA (registration N7734H) was involved in an aviation accident near Carrizo Springs, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain control during dynamic rollover after a weight on the deer net became entangled on the right skid. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A helicopter sustained substantial damage after dynamic rollover occurred when a deer net weight became entangled in the right skid during a ranch operation.
What happened
The accident involved a helicopter operating on private property for the purpose of capturing deer using specialized netting equipment. During the maneuvering phase of the flight, the pilot deployed a net toward a target deer. Immediately after deployment, a weight attached to the net rebounded upward and became physically entangled with the right skid of the aircraft.
The entanglement caused the net and the captured deer to exert significant downward force on the nose of the helicopter. This sudden shift in weight distribution compromised the pilot's ability to maintain control. The aircraft subsequently experienced dynamic rollover, a critical flight condition where the helicopter pivots around a fixed point, such as a skid or wheel, leading to an unrecoverable attitude change.
Following the loss of control, the helicopter descended and came to rest on its left side. The incident highlights the risks associated with low-altitude maneuvers and external load operations in confined areas.
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control during dynamic rollover after a weight on the deer net became entangled on the right skid.
