What happened
On 17 January 2026, the pilot and sole occupant of a Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter was conducting contracted stock mustering operations at a station, about 140 km north of Tennant Creek, Northern Territory. At about 0900 local time, the pilot refuelled the helicopter, filling the tanks to their capacity. Shortly after, they became airborne to continue with the mustering operation.
At about 0910, the pilot reported that while moving cattle through a gate, they conducted a right turn at about 35 kt and 120 ft above ground level. About 3 seconds after completing the turn, the pilot recalled hearing an unusual noise and suspected a possible bird strike with the tail rotor, perceiving no response to their anti-torque pedal inputs.
The pilot recalled that the low rotor RPM horn then sounded and the helicopter began to lose height. They reacted by lowering the collective in an attempt to regain the rotor RPM and attempted to gain forward airspeed. As the helicopter approached the ground the pilot flared and raised the collective[1] to reduce the rate of descent but the helicopter collided heavily with the terrain (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Occurrence helicopter
Source: Operator
On contact with the ground, the helicopter’s main rotor blades flexed and contacted the tail boom causing it to separate. The tail boom, attached tail rotor gearbox and tail rotor were located about 30 m from the main wreckage (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Occurrence aircraft tail boom, and tail assembly
Source: Operator
The pilot wore a flight helmet and was restrained with a 3-point lap and sash harness and was able to free themselves from the wreckage uninjured. However, the helicopter was substantially damaged.
The operator conducted a post-accident engineering analysis of the wreckage and reported there were no indications of pre-impact defects or damage to the tail rotor flight control system that would have resulted in a loss of tail rotor control.
The operator advised that impact marks on the ground indicated that the helicopter was travelling in a west‑north-west direction when it impacted the ground and reported the wind direction at the time of the occurrence was 10–15 kt from the south-east, indicating that the helicopter was likely operating downwind when it impacted the terrain.
Following discussions with the pilot, the operator reported that additional weight after refuelling, combined with a loss of airspeed when turning downwind, likely led to the helicopter being overpitched. The operator considered that this likely caused a reduction in rotor RPM that was not immediately identified by the pilot. The loss of rotor RPM caused the helicopter to descend from a low height and the pilot was unable to recover the low rotor RPM or arrest the rate of descent prior to impacting the ground.
Additionally, the operator reported that the pilot had been listening to music during the low level operation, and identified that this may have reduced the pilot’s ability to aurally detect a reduction of the engine and rotor RPM prior to the low rotor RPM horn sounding. This may have reduced the pilot’s reaction and recovery time for a low rotor RPM condition. Robinson Helicopter’s Safety Notice 10 provides guidance on the recovery technique for low rotor RPM.
Safety action
The operator reported the following safety recommendations for company pilots:
- not to turn the helicopter downwind while at low altitude
- the importance of throttle control and to be aware of manually overriding the engine governor
- awareness of the helicopters engine RPM and listening for audible cues
- fuel load management and consideration given to all-up weight when conducting low-level flight.
Additionally, the operator advised that a notice was sent to all company pilots advising that listening to music while flying was not permitted, reiterating the importance of audible cues from the helicopter engine.
Safety message
The ATSB SafetyWatch highlights the broad safety concerns that come out of our investigation findings and from the occurrence data reported to us by industry. One of the safety concerns is Reducing the severity of injuries in accidents involving small aircraft | ATSB
The operator’s safe work method statements required company pilots to wear flight helmets when conducting mustering operations. The use of flight helmets reduces the risk and severity of head injuries, especially important when conducting low-level and other higher risk flight operations.
Flight at low level is a necessity during mustering operations and often involves abrupt manoeuvres with frequent power changes. Although the R22 engine is equipped with a governor to maintain constant engine RPM, large abrupt power changes can cause the governor to lag, reducing engine RPM and therefore rotor RPM. Pilots, especially during periods of high workload, have been known to grip the throttle control tightly, overriding the governor and preventing the governor from maintaining a constant engine RPM. Operators who routinely conduct low level flight are encouraged to review their training and checking regarding engine RPM management as well as the recovery techniques from a low rotor RPM condition.
About this report
Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.
[1] The collective control changes the pitch angle of all main rotor blades.