On October 19, 2004, a Robinson R-22 (registration N2314T) was involved in an aviation accident near Vega Baja, PR. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to select a suitable landing area resulting in a tangled skid with vegetation during an aborted landing and subsequent dynamic roll over. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A helicopter experienced a dynamic rollover after one skid became entangled in vegetation during an attempted landing in an open field. The pilot could not see the ground due to tall vegetation, and the passenger prematurely unfastened his seat belt.
Accident
A helicopter sustained a dynamic rollover while attempting to land in an open field. The pilot reported selecting the spot to drop off a passenger.
Sequence of Events
According to the pilot, he approached the intended landing area and entered a hover at about 5 feet above the vegetation. He then began a slow descent to make ground contact. However, because of the height of the vegetation, the pilot could not see the actual ground. As the helicopter neared the vegetation, the passenger believed the aircraft had come to a full stop and disconnected his seat belt. The helicopter continued descending. The pilot decided to abort the landing by raising the collective pitch control. During this maneuver, one of the helicopter's skids became tangled in the vegetation, leading to a dynamic rollover.