Helicopter loses fight, pilot and passenger injured, rotor boom
separated from aircraft
The pilot and passenger of a Robinson R22 helicopter (file
photo) were injured when the aircraft's tail rotor tangled in
the tall grass in Vega Baja (PR), next to the facilities of a
propane gas company.
The aircraft, N2314T, registered to Univeral Development
Corporation of Vega Alta (PR), was being flown by Jose Reyes
Casanova, 62, resident of Manati (PR), who operates a cattle ranch
in the area. The passenger was identified as Edwin Rodriguez
Davila, 73, a retired employee of the Puerto Rico Electric Power
Authority.
According to reports from the site of the accident, the aircraft
had picked up the passenger on one side of the property where it
crashed, and was landing on another side of the same property where
the grass was much taller than the takeoff point. They were
about to land, when the passenger unhooked his seat belt in
preparation to disembark. The selected landing spot was well clear
of the nearby propane gas tanks, but the pilot appears not to
have noticed the vegetation was much taller. When they landed, the
tail rotor tangled with the tall grass and the aircraft's rotor
boom separated from the fuselage.
The FAA, however,
reports the aircraft's skids tangled with the grass and the
helicopter tipped sideways. Photographs of the accident published
by Primera Hora show the aircraft upright and the tail boom
laying on the ground to the left of the fuselage. All of
the main rotor blades were bent downwards.
The passenger suffered a spinal fracture in the area of the
cervical vertebrae, and was taken to a nearby hospital. The pilot
suffered only minor injuries. The helicopter suffered extensive
damage.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 2314T
Make/Model: R22 Description:
R-22
Date: 10/19/2004 Time: 2005
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
Minor Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Substantial
LOCATION
City: VEGA
BAJA
State: Country: PR
DESCRIPTION
ROBINSON R-22 ROTORCRAFT, ON LIFT-OFF, SKID GOT TANGLED IN
THE TALL GRASS
AND ACFT TIPPED OVER, VEGA BAJA, PUERTO RICO
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 0
# Crew: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
# Pass: 1 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
1 Unk:
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER:
VFR
OTHER DATA
Activity: Aerial Observation
Phase: Take-off Operation: Foreign
(FORG)
Departed:
UNK
Dep Date: Dep.
Time:
Destination:
UNK
Flt Plan: UNK
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK
FAA FSDO: SAN JUAN, PR
(SO21)
Entry date: 10/20/2004