# Accident 20060728027529A: Robsin R44RAVENII, Flagstaff, AZ, July 28, 2006

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 28, 2006, 05:55 local time
- Place: Flagstaff, AZ
- Airport: Flagstaff Pulliam Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Pwr On Vertical Ldng/Rtrcrft
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.0000° N, 111.5833° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.0000&lon=-111.5833&mi=10
- Aircraft: N74780, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N74780-2011-10-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBSIN R44RAVENII
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 88 in this make and model, 50 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB LAX06LA247](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06LA247) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20060728027529A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(-23) ON JULY 28, 2006, AT APPROXIMATELY 0555 MST, N74780, A ROBINSON R-44 HELICOPTER, WITH THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED PERFORMING AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND, CRASHED WHILE MANEUVERING TO AVOID WEATHER 9 NAUTICAL MILES SOUTHWEST OF FLAGSTAFF MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (FLG). THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT ON A CROSS COUNTRY FLIGHT TO DEER VALLEY AIRPORT (DVT) IN PHOENIX. THE WEATHER AT FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE WAS WIND 250 AT 4 KNOTS, CEILING 800 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 10, TEMPERATURE 17, DEWPOINT 16, ALTIMETER 3028. A VARIABLE CONDITION WAS REPORTED ON ASOS, CEILING VARIABLE, 600-1100 FEET. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ STATED THAT HE HAD DEPARTED THE AIRPORT BEFORE THE TOWER HAD OPENED. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ STATED THAT AS HE PROCEEDED SOUTHWEST, THE CEILING BEGAN TO COME DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 100 FEET AGL. THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ THEN STATED THAT "THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT MAINTAIN ALTITUDE", SO HE ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION INTO A SMALL CLEARING. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT AND THE SKIDS SPREAD. THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AGAIN AND BEGAN TO SPIN. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE AND FLIPPED ON ITS RIGHT SIDE. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE MAIN ROTOR, TAIL ROTOR, FUSELAGE, AND TAIL BOOM. PILOT SUSTAINED MINOR LACERATION TO FINGER. WITNESSES IN THE AREA REPORTED THAT CLOUDS WERE SEEN OBSCURING MOUNTAIN TOPS AT THE TIME OF THIS ACCIDENT. THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY (DPS) PERFORMED THE SEARCH AND RESCUE OF THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^. THE PILOT FROM DPS STATED THAT WEATHER AT FLAGSTAFF AIRPORT AT THE TIME OF HIS DEPARTURE WAS IFR AND THAT HE HAD TO REQUEST A SPECIAL VFR DEPARTURE TO DEPART THE AIRPORT. THIS PILOT STATED THAT THE WEATHER AT THE CRASH SITE WAS MARGINAL VFR AT BEST. THE PILOT FROM DPS STATED THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ HAD STATED DURING HIS PICKUP FROM THE LANDING AREA THAT HE HAD ENTERED IMC BUT WAS OKAY BECAUSE HE HAD AN AIRPLANE INSTRUMENT RATING. THE PILOT FROM DPS STATED THAT THE PILOT ^PRIVACY DATA^ APPEARED DISORIENTED AND WAS NOT SURE OF THE LOCATION OF THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB LAX06LA247](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX06LA247), Jul 28, 2006: Robinson R44 (N74780), Flagstaff, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's inadequate preflight planning decision to take off under a low ceiling into an area of mountainous terrain that resulted in an encounter with lowering clouds and forced the pilot to land…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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