| Crash location | 27.150000°N, 99.110000°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Aguilares, TX
27.448636°N, 99.087251°W 20.7 miles away |
| Tail number | N326RW |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 02 Jul 2018 |
| Aircraft type | Safari 400 |
| Additional details: | None |
On July 2, 2018, about 1130 central daylight time, an amateur-built Safari 400 helicopter, N326RW, impacted the ground following a loss of control near Aguilares, Texas. The private pilot sustained serious injury. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) flight plan had been filed for the flight.
According to a statement given to the responding Federal Aviation Administration inspector, the helicopter was between 20 and 30 ft above ground level when it started to shudder. Subsequently, the pilot heard a "pop" and immediately the helicopter lost tail rotor effectiveness. The helicopter started rotating and the pilot attempted to stop the rotation without success. The helicopter hit the ground and rolled onto its side. The fuselage was crushed and buckled and both main rotor blades were substantially damaged.