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20061019023249I

Incident
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FAA incident report · Robsin R44 · Yakima, WA · October 19, 2006

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 19, 2006 · 14:45 local
Place
Yakima, WA
Phase of flight
Normal Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Aircraft
N74499
Reported as
Robsin R44
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
722 total680 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days
N74499Registered now · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 1598 · Built 2006Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44Engine modelLycoming O-540-F1B5Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Pilot penetrated restricted airspace R6714A during live military operations. After observing the civilian helicopter cross directly through the "impact area", the range controller called for a "cease fire" and "hot mike." This action ceased all artillery operations during the intrusion and also prevented the R-44 helicopter from becoming a live target. The range controller commented that if a cease fire had not been initiated, the helicopter would have been construed as part of the training exercise and shot out of the sky by stinger missles. Pilot claims that before she entered the restricted airspace, she attempted to listen to the Yakima ATIS. Since the helicopter was too low to receive the transmission, her passenger, also a pilot, called the ATIS on his cell phone. According to him, the ATIS made no mention of the restricted area being active and both he and the PIC determined that it was inactive. According to Yakima tower chief privacy data omitted on October 19, 2006, between 1300 and 1500 local time, the ATIS did indeed include accurate information concerning the status of R6714A. Additionally, seattle flight service had issued a NOTAM regarding the airspace.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) PILOT PENETRATED RESTRICTED AIRSPACE R6714A DURING LIVE MILITARY OPERATIONS. AFTER OBSERVING THE CIVILIAN HELICOPTER CROSS DIRECTLY THROUGH THE "IMPACT AREA", THE RANGE CONTROLLER CALLED FOR A "CEASE FIRE" AND "HOT MIKE." THIS ACTION CEASED ALL ARTILLERY OPERATIONS DURING THE INTRUSION AND ALSO PREVENTED THE R-44 HELICOPTER FROM BECOMING A LIVE TARGET. THE RANGE CONTROLLER COMMENTED THAT IF A CEASE FIRE HAD NOT BEEN INITIATED, THE HELICOPTER WOULD HAVE BEEN CONSTRUED AS PART OF THE TRAINING EXERCISE AND SHOT OUT OF THE SKY BY STINGER MISSLES. PILOT CLAIMS THAT BEFORE SHE ENTERED THE RESTRICTED AIRSPACE, SHE ATTEMPTED TO LISTEN TO THE YAKIMA ATIS. SINCE THE HELICOPTER WAS TOO LOW TO RECEIVE THE TRANSMISSION, HER PASSENGER, ALSO A PILOT, CALLED THE ATIS ON HIS CELL PHONE. ACCORDING TO HIM, THE ATIS MADE NO MENTION OF THE RESTRICTED AREA BEING ACTIVE AND BOTH HE AND THE PIC DETERMINED THAT IT WAS INACTIVE. ACCORDING TO YAKIMA TOWER CHIEF ^PRIVACY DATA^ ON OCTOBER 19, 2006, BETWEEN 1300 AND 1500 LOCAL TIME, THE ATIS DID INDEED INCLUDE ACCURATE INFORMATION CONCERNING THE STATUS OF R6714A. ADDITIONALLY, SEATTLE FLIGHT SERVICE HAD ISSUED A NOTAM REGARDING THE AIRSPACE.