What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On 06-18-2004, a Robinson helicopter model R-44 registration no. N70144, crashed in a wooded area in Killingly, CT. At 0324 eastern daylight time (EDT). There were two occupants on board, a commercial pilot with flight instructor rotorcraft and instrument rotorcraft ratings, and a private pilot with a rotorcraft rating. Both occupant injuries were fatal, and the aircraft was destroyed as a result of the accident. The flight originated at 0047 EDT in wilkes-barre (avp) scranton, PA. Under visual flight rules (VFR), and was enroute to theodore francis green state airport (pvd) in providence, r.I. No VFR flight plan was filed and the aircraft was not certified to fly under instrument flight rules (IFR). Weather at the time and site of the accident was reported as instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The aircraft wreckage was found in a heavily wooded area, approximately 2.7 nautical miles and 130 degrees from the approach end of runway 31 at danielson airport (5BE). The path of the wreckage was about 275 feet (ft) in length and curved 90 degrees to the right. The aircraft was found resting on its left hand side with the landing gear skids sheared off. Along the wreckage path, pieces of plexiglass, broken tree branches and a tail rotor tip was found. The tail rotor assembly with the remainder of the blades attached was found 200 ft. along the path and about 100 ft. outboard of the path. The vertical and horizontal stabilizer assembly was found 35 ft. from the tail rotor assembly and also about 100 ft. outboard from the path. The main rotor blades were found attached with evidence of upward bending and rippling along the blade chords. The main and tail rotor gearboxes were rotated by hand and the rotor driveline belts were found attached. Engine compression and ignition were confirmed by manual rotation of the crankshaft assembly. Approximately three gallons of aviation fuel was found in the main fuel tank with evidence of fuel at the main fuel strainer and carburetor assembly. Recorded weather, at 0352 EDT from windham airport (ijd), located about 15 nautical miles west of the accident site, indicated calm winds, 1 3/4 statue mile visibility in light rain and mist, broken cloud layer at 200 (ft) above the ground level (AGL), overcast cloud layer at 600FT. AGL and temperature and dew point at 71 degrees fahrenheit with a barometric pressure of 29.88 inches of mercury. A witness near the accident site stated in a written report that there was heavy fog and visible moisture in the area at the approximate time of the accident. Data downloaded from a handheld global positioning unit (GPS) obtained at the accident site, showed a series of descending right hand turns from 8,000 ft over the vicinity of Killingly, CT. At approximately 0306 EDT. Shortly thereafter, the data showed the aircraft over danielson airport (5B3), 5 nautical miles north of the accident site at an altitude of about 4,600 ft. four more descending right hand turns were executed over Killingly, CT. And at 0324 EDT, the track ended at an indicated altitude of 560 ft.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON 06-18-2004, A ROBINSON HELICOPTER MODEL R-44 REGISTRATION NO. N70144, CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA IN KILLINGLY, CT. AT 0324 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT). THERE WERE TWO OCCUPANTS ON BOARD, A COMMERCIAL PILOT WITH FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR ROTORCRAFT AND INSTRUMENT ROTORCRAFT RATINGS, AND A PRIVATE PILOT WITH A ROTORCRAFT RATING. BOTH OCCUPANT INJURIES WERE FATAL, AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT 0047 EDT IN WILKES-BARRE (AVP) SCRANTON, PA. UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR), AND WAS ENROUTE TO THEODORE FRANCIS GREEN STATE AIRPORT (PVD) IN PROVIDENCE, R.I. NO VFR FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS NOT CERTIFIED TO FLY UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR). WEATHER AT THE TIME AND SITE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS REPORTED AS INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC). THE AIRCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS FOUND IN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA, APPROXIMATELY 2.7 NAUTICAL MILES AND 130 DEGREES FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 31 AT DANIELSON AIRPORT (5BE). THE PATH OF THE WRECKAGE WAS ABOUT 275 FEET (FT) IN LENGTH AND CURVED 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FOUND RESTING ON ITS LEFT HAND SIDE WITH THE LANDING GEAR SKIDS SHEARED OFF. ALONG THE WRECKAGE PATH, PIECES OF PLEXIGLASS, BROKEN TREE BRANCHES AND A TAIL ROTOR TIP WAS FOUND. THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE BLADES ATTACHED WAS FOUND 200 FT. ALONG THE PATH AND ABOUT 100 FT. OUTBOARD OF THE PATH. THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZER ASSEMBLY WAS FOUND 35 FT. FROM THE TAIL ROTOR ASSEMBLY AND ALSO ABOUT 100 FT. OUTBOARD FROM THE PATH. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE FOUND ATTACHED WITH EVIDENCE OF UPWARD BENDING AND RIPPLING ALONG THE BLADE CHORDS. THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR GEARBOXES WERE ROTATED BY HAND AND THE ROTOR DRIVELINE BELTS WERE FOUND ATTACHED. ENGINE COMPRESSION AND IGNITION WERE CONFIRMED BY MANUAL ROTATION OF THE CRANKSHAFT ASSEMBLY. APPROXIMATELY THREE GALLONS OF AVIATION FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE MAIN FUEL TANK WITH EVIDENCE OF FUEL AT THE MAIN FUEL STRAINER AND CARBURETOR ASSEMBLY. RECORDED WEATHER, AT 0352 EDT FROM WINDHAM AIRPORT (IJD), LOCATED ABOUT 15 NAUTICAL MILES WEST OF THE ACCIDENT SITE, INDICATED CALM WINDS, 1 3/4 STATUE MILE VISIBILITY IN LIGHT RAIN AND MIST, BROKEN CLOUD LAYER AT 200 (FT) ABOVE THE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), OVERCAST CLOUD LAYER AT 600FT. AGL AND TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT AT 71 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT WITH A BAROMETRIC PRESSURE OF 29.88 INCHES OF MERCURY. A WITNESS NEAR THE ACCIDENT SITE STATED IN A WRITTEN REPORT THAT THERE WAS HEAVY FOG AND VISIBLE MOISTURE IN THE AREA AT THE APPROXIMATE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. DATA DOWNLOADED FROM A HANDHELD GLOBAL POSITIONING UNIT (GPS) OBTAINED AT THE ACCIDENT SITE, SHOWED A SERIES OF DESCENDING RIGHT HAND TURNS FROM 8,000 FT OVER THE VICINITY OF KILLINGLY, CT. AT APPROXIMATELY 0306 EDT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE DATA SHOWED THE AIRCRAFT OVER DANIELSON AIRPORT (5B3), 5 NAUTICAL MILES NORTH OF THE ACCIDENT SITE AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 4,600 FT. FOUR MORE DESCENDING RIGHT HAND TURNS WERE EXECUTED OVER KILLINGLY, CT. AND AT 0324 EDT, THE TRACK ENDED AT AN INDICATED ALTITUDE OF 560 FT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.