20091213052959I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Robinson He R44 II · Long Beach, CA · December 13, 2009

Date: December 13, 2009 · 13:36 local
Place: Long Beach, CA
Airport: Long Beach
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N551LA
Reported as: Robinson He R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N551LARegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11241 · 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.

While inbound to Long Beach Airport (lgb), the pilot/instructor noticed a spike in the manifold pressure accompanied by a shudder and partial loss of power. While attempting to manuever to the company helicopter parking which is located on the airport the pilot observed a continuing degradation of power and rpm's resulting in an off airport landing. There was no damage to the aircraft other than the internal engine damage suffered as a result of the #4 intake valve failure. SDR report filed by tim's aircraft #2009FA0001069

As the FAA filed it

WHILE INBOUND TO LONG BEACH AIRPORT (LGB), THE PILOT/INSTRUCTOR NOTICED A SPIKE IN THE MANIFOLD PRESSURE ACCOMPANIED BY A SHUDDER AND PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MANUEVER TO THE COMPANY HELICOPTER PARKING WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE AIRPORT THE PILOT OBSERVED A CONTINUING DEGRADATION OF POWER AND RPM'S RESULTING IN AN OFF AIRPORT LANDING. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT OTHER THAN THE INTERNAL ENGINE DAMAGE SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF THE #4 INTAKE VALVE FAILURE. SDR REPORT FILED BY TIM'S AIRCRAFT #2009FA0001069