Robinson R22 N226AP and North American T-6G N51KT accident near Cypress, Texas

Probable cause

Both pilot's failure to see and avoid the other aircraft.

NTSB analysis

A flight instructor was having his student practice hovering and "hovering auto" maneuvers in a Robinson R-22 in preparation for his upcoming flight check. They air-taxied to the runway and announced on the common traffic advisory frequency that they were departing. They made a "quick stop" and then announced that they were "on the go." The pilot of a T-6G said that she announced that they were departing. The helicopter was over the grass and slightly to the left of the runway when its main rotor blades struck the left wing tip of the airplane. The helicopter spun around and struck the ground. The pilot of the other airplane remained in the traffic pattern and landed. A video of the collision showed the helicopter visible to the extreme left of the airplane’s nose, forward of the left wing, just as its pilot reported "on the go again." The helicopter appeared to be in a nose-low attitude flying just above the taxiway to the left of the aircraft. The T-6G appeared to be in a level flight attitude just left of runway centerline. The helicopter impacted the ground and the T-6G flew a left-closed pattern, returned and landed on the takeoff runway.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN09LA149 for the full record.