20110430019079A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Indiana, PA · April 30, 2011

Date: April 30, 2011 · 20:40 local
Place: Indiana, PA
Airport: Indiana County/Jimmy Stewart F
Phase of flight: Maneuver
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N445AB
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA11FA272
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 1
Other injuries: 3
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 1,484 total28 in this make and model2 in the last 90 days

N445ABRegistration cancelled May 31, 2017 · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 10761 · Built 2005 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.

4/30/2011 At 20:37 helicopter N445AB crashed at 700 klondyke avenue in the city of Indiana, PA.during the accident, the aircraft struck two houses and came to a rest with the aircraft in a nose down position on the left side of the aircraft. One main rotor blade was sheared off near the blade root and on a house roof forward of the aircraft. The other main rotor blade had severe impact damage and the house to the left of the aircraft has damage that reflects the main rotor blade impression in the side of the house. The tail rotor yoke and blades are severly bent and also impacted the roof of the house adjacent to the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

4/30/2011 AT 20:37 HELICOPTER N445AB CRASHED AT 700 KLONDYKE AVENUE IN THE CITY OF INDIANA, PA.DURING THE ACCIDENT, THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK TWO HOUSES AND CAME TO A REST WITH THE AIRCRAFT IN A NOSE DOWN POSITION ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT. ONE MAIN ROTOR BLADE WAS SHEARED OFF NEAR THE BLADE ROOT AND ON A HOUSE ROOF FORWARD OF THE AIRCRAFT. THE OTHER MAIN ROTOR BLADE HAD SEVERE IMPACT DAMAGE AND THE HOUSE TO THE LEFT OF THE AIRCRAFT HAS DAMAGE THAT REFLECTS THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE IMPRESSION IN THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE. THE TAIL ROTOR YOKE AND BLADES ARE SEVERLY BENT AND ALSO IMPACTED THE ROOF OF THE HOUSE ADJACENT TO THE AIRCRAFT.

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 ERA11FA272Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportIndiana, PAThe pilot's operation of the helicopter at a low-forward airspeed out of ground effect, which resulted in the helicopter’s loss of translational lift and tail rotor authority and the pilot’s subsequent loss of helicopter control.May 1, 2011 · Substantial damage