No fatalities

5 Aug 2008: Robinson R22 Beta — Strategic Air, LLC. — Buffalo, ND

Buffalo, ND, United States

On 5 Aug 2008, a Robinson R22 Beta operated by Strategic Air, LLC. was involved in an aviation accident near Buffalo, ND. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's excessive descent rate and his failure to maintain clearance from terrain during the spray run entry. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A helicopter sustained damage when, after a steep descent for a spray run, the pilot could not arrest the descent before rotor speed dropped. A run-on landing led to a pitchover and rotor strike.

Accident Details

The pilot reported that while entering a spray run, the helicopter experienced a high descent rate with an excessive nose-down attitude. This occurred after the aircraft had passed over power lines.

Sequence of Events

Following the power line crossing, the pilot initiated a steep descent toward the field. During the spray run entry, the descent rate became excessive and the nose-down attitude increased. The pilot was unable to halt the descent before the main rotor speed fell below a safe operating threshold. Subsequently, a run-on landing was performed in the field at approximately 30 miles per hour. During the landing, the helicopter pitched forward, causing the main rotor to strike the terrain.

Damage

The impact resulted in damage to the main rotor, tailboom, fuselage, and landing skids.

Pilot's Comments

The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented by performing a less aggressive spray run entry.

Contributing factors

Descent rate — Not attained/maintainedAltitude — Not attained/maintained