Robinson Helicopter Co R66 N4059A accident near Arlington, Texas

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain during the hover taxi.

NTSB analysis

The pilot stated that he had requested flight following from the departure airport control tower. He had lifted off and was conducting a hover taxi along a taxiway as he attempted to enter the assigned transponder code. When he became distracted with the task, the helicopter drifted over the grass area adjacent to the taxiway. The tail of the helicopter inadvertently contacted the grass and the helicopter pitched forward and impacted the ground. The pilot shut down the engine and exited the helicopter with his passenger. The helicopter sustained damage to the tail rotor blades, vertical stabilizer, and landing skids.

The pilot noted that entering the transponder code while on the ground before lifting off into the hover would have prevented the distraction and, likely, the accident. According to the pilot, there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter before the accident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN26LA153 for the full record.