Robinson R22 BETA N7189D
23 October 2019 · Hebbronville, Texas, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 23 October 2019 at about 13:46 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N7189D, operated by South Texas Helicopters Inc, was involved in an accident near Hebbronville, Texas, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 13:46
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Hebbronville, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 27.3725, -98.6333
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N7189D
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2000
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- South Texas Helicopters Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN20FA012
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The failure of the spotter helicopter pilot to maintain clearance from the gunner helicopter while maneuvering. Contributing to the accident were the effects from the pilot’s use of impairing drugs.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The two helicopters were performing deer netting operations. One helicopter was designated as a “spotter” and relayed the location of deer to the crew of the “gunner” helicopter, which then captured the deer using a gun net. The pilot of the gunner helicopter stated that the pilot of the spotter helicopter identified a deer and notified him of its location. The gunner helicopter was about 50 ft above and 100 ft behind the spotter helicopter as the gunner pilot began maneuvering toward the right and descending to capture the deer. The spotter helicopter initially turned left, then turned right again, and the spotter helicopter’s main rotor impacted the gunner helicopter’s skid and engine area, which sustained substantial damage. The spotter helicopter descended into terrain and was destroyed; the pilot and passenger onboard were fatally injured. The gunner pilot performed an emergency landing; the passenger onboard sustained serious injuries, and the pilot was not injured. Examination of both helicopters did not reveal any preimpact anomalies. Toxicology testing of specimens from the spotter pilot identified ethanol, two prescription opioid medications, and an antidepression medication. The measured ethanol levels were consistent with an impairing blood alcohol level well above the 0.04 g/dL regulatory limit. On its own, the ethanol level was high enough to interfere with tracking, coordination, reaction, and traffic separation tasks. Use of the prescription opioid medications, in addition to alcohol, was likely more impairing than from the use of alcohol alone. The pilot’s autopsy did reveal an intact brain aneurysm, but, as it was intact, it was unlikely to contribute to impairment. Based on the available information, the circumstances of the accident are consistent with the failure of the spotter helicopter pilot to maintain clearance from the gunner helicopter while maneuvering. It is likely that the impairing effects from a combination of alcohol and two opioid drugs contributed to the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robinson R22 BETA | N7189D | South Texas Helicopters Inc | Destroyed |
| Robinson R22 BETA | N74512 | Smith Helicopters Inc | Substantial |
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Jun 2019 | Robinson R22 | Danbury, Texas, United States | Standard Aviation Svcs | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2019 | Robinson R22 | Garwood, Texas, United States | Alamo Helicopter Tours San Antonio LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Mar 2019 | Robinson R22 | Madill, Oklahoma, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jul 2019 | Robinson R22 | Water Valley, Texas, United States | Trans-Pecos Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 19 Dec 2019 | Robinson R22 | Beeville, Texas, United States | Prestige Air Worldwide, LLC | No injuries | - |
| 7 Apr 2019 | Robinson R22 | Clover, Virginia, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 2019 | Cessna A185 | Conroe, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 7 Aug 2019 | Jonker Sailplanes JS1C | Cotulla, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 21 Sep 2019 | Van's VANS RV-10 | Lancaster, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jun 2019 | Textron B-300 | Addison, Texas, United States | S&H Aircraft | Fatal | 10 |
| 16 Nov 2019 | Cessna 152 | Sherman/Dennison, Texas, United States | US Aviation Group Llc | No injuries | - |
| 14 Sep 2019 | Cirrus SR20 | Orange, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |