| Crash location | 28.559444°N, 99.410000°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 | Asherton, TX
28.443599°N, 99.758940°W 22.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N7181S |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 15 Feb 2015 |
| Aircraft type | Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta |
| Additional details: | None |
According to the pilot, he was herding cattle with the helicopter. He descended to an altitude of about 10 feet to get the cattle to turn and enter a pen. After the cattle entered the pen, he maneuvered away and gained altitude to clear some nearby trees. The pilot thought the helicopter was clear of the trees; however, the tailrotor impacted a tree. The helicopter started to spin, so he reduced the throttle to stop the spin. The helicopter impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage the main rotor blades , fuselage, and tailboom.
The pilot did not maintain adequate clearance from the trees.