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20081112856659A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robsin R44 · San Juan, Puerto Rico · November 12, 2008

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Date
November 12, 2008 · 14:31 local
Place
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Airport
Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci
Phase of flight
Taxi
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N52JM
Reported as
Robsin R44
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
1,200 total727 in this make and model530 in the last 90 days

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) Aircraft arriving to isla grande, PR (sig) from st. thomas usvi (stt) on runway 9 abeam to the us custom ramp the helicopter hovered in front of the sig FAA control tower, the PIC privacy data omitted was instructed to side-step to aircraft parking. The PIC hovered from the runway over the grass area in front of the FAA control tower, the helicopter pitched up, then started to turn to the left, rolled on its left side. The main rotor blades impacted the runway, and the helicopter slide across the runway north and stopped just off the runway in front of the FAA control tower. The helicopter main rotor blades damaged, and tail rotor gear box sheared off when it impacted the runway, with structural damage to the airframe. The pilot suffered minor injuries, and the passenger privacy data omitted was seriously injured. PIC also indicated that the tail rotor failed. Acft accident weather San Juan ASOS 800Z observations (taken at 1756Z) 10011KT vis +10 few 032 30/23 A2982, 830Z, 07011KT vis +10 few 032 30/23 A2982 and 700Z observations taken at 1856Z 07013KT vis +10 few 032 30/22 A2982 by sju weather service personnel/privacy data omitted.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) AIRCRAFT ARRIVING TO ISLA GRANDE, PR (SIG) FROM ST. THOMAS USVI (STT) ON RUNWAY 9 ABEAM TO THE US CUSTOM RAMP THE HELICOPTER HOVERED IN FRONT OF THE SIG FAA CONTROL TOWER, THE PIC ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS INSTRUCTED TO SIDE-STEP TO AIRCRAFT PARKING. THE PIC HOVERED FROM THE RUNWAY OVER THE GRASS AREA IN FRONT OF THE FAA CONTROL TOWER, THE HELICOPTER PITCHED UP, THEN STARTED TO TURN TO THE LEFT, ROLLED ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES IMPACTED THE RUNWAY, AND THE HELICOPTER SLIDE ACROSS THE RUNWAY NORTH AND STOPPED JUST OFF THE RUNWAY IN FRONT OF THE FAA CONTROL TOWER. THE HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR BLADES DAMAGED, AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SHEARED OFF WHEN IT IMPACTED THE RUNWAY, WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. THE PILOT SUFFERED MINOR INJURIES, AND THE PASSENGER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. PIC ALSO INDICATED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR FAILED. ACFT ACCIDENT WEATHER SAN JUAN ASOS 800Z OBSERVATIONS (TAKEN AT 1756Z) 10011KT VIS +10 FEW 032 30/23 A2982, 830Z, 07011KT VIS +10 FEW 032 30/23 A2982 AND 700Z OBSERVATIONS TAKEN AT 1856Z 07013KT VIS +10 FEW 032 30/22 A2982 BY SJU WEATHER SERVICE PERSONNEL/^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.