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20090425006759A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robsin R44RAVENII · Kent, TX · April 25, 2009

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Date
April 25, 2009 · 11:00 local
Place
Kent, TX
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N518SJ
Reported as
Robsin R44RAVENII
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
6,783 total1,820 in this make and model169 in the last 90 days
N518SJRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11466 · Built 2006Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 IIEngine modelLycoming IO-540-AE1A5Reciprocating

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) On April 25, 2009, at approximately 1100 CDT, N5183SJ, a Robinson R-44 ii raven helicopter,privately owned and operated under CFR title 14 part 91, was substantially damaged when the tail boom struck the ground in a rural area approximately 10 miles north of Kent, Texas. The pilot and 3 passengers aboard sustained no injuries. The pilot circled approximately 150 feet above the ground (4375 feet MSL), and slowed to 10 knots when the helicopter began to lose main rotor RPM and the low rotor alert souned moments after completing the turn. The pilot lowered the collective to maintain rotor RPM with insufficient altitude and impaceted the ground tail first damaging the tail rotor, skidding approximatey 20 feet in a southeasterly direction. The helicopter came to a stop pitching forward onto the nose damaging the front portion of the left skid and the exterior nose section of the helicopter. The main rotor blades were damaged as they severed the tail boom causing substantial damage. The pilot stated the engine was producing power and the flight controls functioned normally. The flight departed from a private ranch adjacent to XS44.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON APRIL 25, 2009, AT APPROXIMATELY 1100 CDT, N5183SJ, A ROBINSON R-44 II RAVEN HELICOPTER,PRIVATELY OWNED AND OPERATED UNDER CFR TITLE 14 PART 91, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN THE TAIL BOOM STRUCK THE GROUND IN A RURAL AREA APPROXIMATELY 10 MILES NORTH OF KENT, TEXAS. THE PILOT AND 3 PASSENGERS ABOARD SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. THE PILOT CIRCLED APPROXIMATELY 150 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND (4375 FEET MSL), AND SLOWED TO 10 KNOTS WHEN THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO LOSE MAIN ROTOR RPM AND THE LOW ROTOR ALERT SOUNED MOMENTS AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN. THE PILOT LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE TO MAINTAIN ROTOR RPM WITH INSUFFICIENT ALTITUDE AND IMPACETED THE GROUND TAIL FIRST DAMAGING THE TAIL ROTOR, SKIDDING APPROXIMATEY 20 FEET IN A SOUTHEASTERLY DIRECTION. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO A STOP PITCHING FORWARD ONTO THE NOSE DAMAGING THE FRONT PORTION OF THE LEFT SKID AND THE EXTERIOR NOSE SECTION OF THE HELICOPTER. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED AS THEY SEVERED THE TAIL BOOM CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE PILOT STATED THE ENGINE WAS PRODUCING POWER AND THE FLIGHT CONTROLS FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE FLIGHT DEPARTED FROM A PRIVATE RANCH ADJACENT TO XS44.