20120704012359A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Tallahassee, FL · July 4, 2012

Date: July 4, 2012 · 03:20 local
Place: Tallahassee, FL
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N561CH
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA12LA429
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 190 total170 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N561CHRegistration cancelled Feb 17, 2015 · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 1963 · Built 2008 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.

Received clutch light.... The Robinson R-44 emergency procedure is to pull the cb after 7-8 seconds with the light illuminated. As he reached over to pull the cb he felt "light in his seat" and looked up and was in a nose dive. Crashed in the lake where is house is located.

As the FAA filed it

RECEIVED CLUTCH LIGHT.... THE ROBINSON R-44 EMERGENCY PROCEDURE IS TO PULL THE CB AFTER 7-8 SECONDS WITH THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. AS HE REACHED OVER TO PULL THE CB HE FELT "LIGHT IN HIS SEAT" AND LOOKED UP AND WAS IN A NOSE DIVE. CRASHED IN THE LAKE WHERE IS HOUSE IS LOCATED.

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 ERA12LA429Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportTallahassee, FLThe pilot’s failure to maintain awareness of the helicopter’s altitude while attempting to troubleshoot the clutch actuator warning light, which resulted in an inadvertent descent and impact with water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's possible…Jul 4, 2012 · Substantial damage