On 18 September 2016, at about 1355 Eastern Standard Time EST, the pilot of a Robinson R22 helicopter, registered VH-PFX, commenced aerial mustering on a property about 15 km south of Coen, Queensland.
After successfully mustering one mob of cattle into a yard, the pilot started moving a second mob towards the north. The cattle started to move west instead of north, so the pilot descended closer to the cattle to encourage them to turn.
At about 1415, the helicopter was about 10 ft above the ground, at an airspeed of 40 to 50 kt, when a cow with long horns charged and reared up at the helicopter. The cow’s horn went over the right skid of the helicopter, trapping the skid underneath it. The pilot applied full left cyclic and raised the collective, but the helicopter rolled to the right. The main rotor blade struck the ground and the helicopter collided with the ground and slid about 10 m along a dirt road.
As the helicopter slid along the ground, it caught fire. The pilot exited with minor injuries and the helicopter was destroyed.
Aerial mustering, as with other low-flying operations, carries an inherent level of risk. At low level there is limited opportunity to react and respond to an abnormal situation.
What happened
On 18 September 2016, at about 1355 Eastern Standard Time (EST), the pilot of a Robinson R22 helicopter, registered VH-PFX, commenced aerial mustering on a property about 15 km south of Coen, Queensland.
After successfully mustering one mob of cattle into a yard, the pilot started moving a second mob towards the north. The cattle started to move west instead of north, so the pilot descended closer to the cattle to encourage them to turn.
At about 1415, the helicopter was about 10 ft above the ground, at an airspeed of 40 to 50 kt, when a cow with long horns charged and reared up at the helicopter. The cow’s horn went over the right skid of the helicopter, trapping the skid underneath it. The pilot applied full left cyclic[1] and raised the collective[2], but the helicopter rolled to the right. The main rotor blade struck the ground and the helicopter collided with the ground and slid about 10 m along a dirt road.
As the helicopter slid along the ground, it caught fire. The pilot exited with minor injuries and the helicopter was destroyed (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Accident site showing VH-PFX destroyed by post-impact fire
Source: Queensland Police
Pilot comments
Normally, the helicopter can remain at a higher altitude and mustering will still be effective as the noise moves the cattle in the intended direction. Very occasionally, when the area is clear, the only way to move the cattle is to get down low.
Bladder-type fuel tanks
In July 2014, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority’s (CASA) monthly update, the CASA Briefing included the section ‘R22 operators urged to fit new fuel tanks’. CASA strongly recommended operators of R22 helicopters to install modified fuel tanks as early as possible. This was in response to Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Service bulletin SB-109, which required R22 helicopters with aluminium fuel tanks to be retrofitted with bladder-type tanks to improve the fuel system’s resistance to a post-accident fuel leak. The retrofit was to be completed as soon as practical, but no later than the next 2,200-hour overhaul or 12-year inspection.
VH-PFX was not fitted with bladder fuel tanks. Although the bladder tanks could have been fitted at any time, as the aircraft had not yet reached the 2,200-hour overhaul or 12-year inspection period, it was not yet required to be fitted with bladder fuel tanks.
ATSB comment
Aerial mustering, as with other low-flying operations, carries an inherent level of risk. Elevated awareness and vigilance is necessary to fly an aircraft safely, monitor for the effects of environmental conditions such as wind direction and strength, and to scan for and avoid obstacles and other hazards. Operating at the height of the animals while mustering introduces additional risk as animals can act unpredictably, and should only be done as a last resort. At low level there is limited opportunity to react and respond to an abnormal situation.
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- Cyclic: a primary helicopter flight control that is similar to an aircraft control column. Cyclic input tilts the main rotor disc, varying the attitude of the helicopter and hence the lateral direction.
- Collective: a primary helicopter flight control that simultaneously affects the pitch of all blades of a lifting rotor. Collective input is the main control for vertical velocity.