# Accident 20120408006299A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Henderson, NV, April 8, 2012

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 8, 2012, 18:45 local time
- Place: Henderson, NV
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.9728° N, 115.1344° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.9728&lon=-115.1344&mi=10
- Aircraft: N55NZ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N55NZ-2015-05-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (registry code 41899, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540-AE1A5
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 300 total, 245 in this make and model, 1 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR12CA162](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA162) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20120408006299A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PILOT INITIATED AN APPROACH TO LAND AT A PAVED AREA ADJACENT TO HANGERS AT THE HENDERSON AIRPORT, THE APPROACH WAS ON AN APPROXIMATE HEADING OF ONE HUNDRED TWENTY DEGREES WITH REPORTED WINDS OF ONE HUNDRED DEGREES AT SIX KNOTS.  THE PILOT STATED THAT AS THE AIRCRAFT GOT TO APPROXIMATELY THIRTY FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND AN AIRSPEED OF APPROXIMATELY THIRTY KNOTS, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT FROM TURINING IN A YAW TO THE RIGHT.THE PILOT STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO FLY FORWARD TO GAIN AIRSPEED AND STOP THE TURNING AIRCRAFT, BUT COULD NOT STOP THE AIRCRAFT FROM TURNING.THE PILOT STATED THAT THE AIRCRAFT CONTACTED THE GROUND IN A LEVEL FASHION, THOUGH STILL CONTINUED TO TURN TO THE RIGHT.  THE AIRCRAFT THEN ROLLED ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE AND CAME TO REST.THE AIRCRAFT  WAS REMOVED FROM THE SCENE BY THE OWNER AND STORED IN A NEARBY HANGAR.AN EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER DID NOT REVEAL ANY MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN PRESENT PRIOR TO THE CRASH.THE DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE CONSISTANT WITH THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS WHICH THE PILOT DESCRIBED.ALL FLIGHT CONTROLS AND ROTOR SYSTEMS APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN INTACT PRIOR TO THE CRASH AND THE ROTOR SYSTEM APPEARED TO BE UNDER POWER AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH. THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE ABOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE CRASH.  THE REAR SEAT PASSENGER WAS A YOUNG BOY AND NOT AVAILABLE FOR CONTACT.  THE FRONT SEAT PASSENGER, WHO IS A RATED ROTORCRAFT PILOT, STATED THE SAME FACTS WHICH THE PILOT STATED, ADDING THAT HE THOUGHT THAT THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SOME EFFECT FROM WIND COMING OFF OF THE HANGARS WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN TO THE EAST AND UPWIND FROM WHERE THE CRASH SEQUENCE STARTED.REPORT TO BE AMMENDED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB WPR12CA162](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA162), Apr 9, 2012: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N55NZ), Henderson, NV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot did not maintain directional and yaw control of the helicopter during approach and landing, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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