20120213001969A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Charleston, SC · February 13, 2012

Date: February 13, 2012 · 13:30 local
Place: Charleston, SC
Airport: Charleston International.
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N5511L
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA12CA179
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 866 total223 in this make and model236 in the last 90 days

N5511LRegistration cancelled Apr 23, 2012 · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 1769 · Built 2007 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 Engine modelLycoming O-540-F1B5Reciprocating

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.

The pilot in command (PIC) , a certificated flight instructor, and a student pilot, were performing an auto rotation to ground. The PIC statement indicated that the helicopter was decending fast, and that he took control of the helicopter. He did not add power. The main rotor blades struck a dirt mound and the PIC then lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter stopped laying on its left side. The pilot in command, and the student pilot were in contact with the iic following the accident. The helicopter was destroyed, there were no injuries to the two sob, and there was no fire. The helicopter was unaccessible due to its location, on a marshy area of land near the ocean, which was owned by the U.S. Corps of engineers. The corps of engineers would not allow anyone on the property, as told to the iic by the aircraft owner. After the insurance company got permission the have the aircraft moved, the aircraft went directly to aircraft salvage over the weekend by atlanta salvage.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) , A CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, AND A STUDENT PILOT, WERE PERFORMING AN AUTO ROTATION TO GROUND. THE PIC STATEMENT INDICATED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS DECENDING FAST, AND THAT HE TOOK CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. HE DID NOT ADD POWER. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK A DIRT MOUND AND THE PIC THEN LOST CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER. THE HELICOPTER STOPPED LAYING ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE PILOT IN COMMAND, AND THE STUDENT PILOT WERE IN CONTACT WITH THE IIC FOLLOWING THE ACCIDENT.THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED, THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO THE TWO SOB, AND THERE WAS NO FIRE.THE HELICOPTER WAS UNACCESSIBLE DUE TO ITS LOCATION, ON A MARSHY AREA OF LAND NEAR THE OCEAN, WHICH WAS OWNED BY THE U.S. CORPS OF ENGINEERS. THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS WOULD NOT ALLOW ANYONE ON THE PROPERTY, AS TOLD TO THE IIC BY THE AIRCRAFT OWNER. AFTER THE INSURANCE COMPANY GOT PERMISSION THE HAVE THE AIRCRAFT MOVED, THE AIRCRAFT WENT DIRECTLY TO AIRCRAFT SALVAGE OVER THE WEEKEND BY ATLANTA SALVAGE.

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 ERA12CA179Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportN. Charleston, SCThe flight instructor’s failure to apply power during a practice autorotation in order to arrest a high rate of descent, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.Feb 13, 2012 · Substantial damage