20080115009899A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robsin R44RAVENII · Fenner, NY · January 15, 2008

Date: January 15, 2008
Place: Fenner, NY
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N122AA
NTSB investigation: NTSBNYC08CA083
Reported as: Robsin R44RAVENII
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 27,000 total2,013 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N122AARegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11228 · Built 2006 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

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) N122AA was returning to syracuse, NY on a special VFR flight plan. The pilot experienced poor visibility due to blowing snow and winds. The pilot spiraled down, set the helicopter down in a field, landing hard. The skids separated from the fuselage, the main rotor cut the tail boom off, and the fuselage turned and flipped over (dynamic rollover). The front of the helicopter including the windshield broke away also. The helicopter came to rest on its right side facing northeast.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) N122AA WAS RETURNING TO SYRACUSE, NY ON A SPECIAL VFR FLIGHT PLAN. THE PILOT EXPERIENCED POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO BLOWING SNOW AND WINDS. THE PILOT SPIRALED DOWN, SET THE HELICOPTER DOWN IN A FIELD, LANDING HARD. THE SKIDS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE, THE MAIN ROTOR CUT THE TAIL BOOM OFF, AND THE FUSELAGE TURNED AND FLIPPED OVER (DYNAMIC ROLLOVER). THE FRONT OF THE HELICOPTER INCLUDING THE WINDSHIELD BROKE AWAY ALSO. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS RIGHT SIDE FACING NORTHEAST.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB NYC08CA083Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportFenner, NYThe pilot's delayed decision to perform a precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility in snow and the soft terrain.Jan 15, 2008 · Substantial damage