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20130502006929A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Pomeroy, WA · May 2, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 2, 2013 · 15:50 local
Place
Pomeroy, WA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
YJDG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N442RN
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR13LA217
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
1,911 total1,262 in this make and model270 in the last 90 days
N442RNRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11047 · Built 2006Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 IIEngine 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.

The investigation revealed that the helicopter, which had been conducting agricultural aerial spraying of chemicals that day, returned to be refueled and topped off with another load of chemical solution by a ground crew loader. According to the pilot?s statement, he lifted off from the loading truck platform after being cleared by the loader, and then began forward flight, when the low RPM horn suddenly began to sound. The pilot pushed the emergency dump button and attempted to fly out of the low RPM condition but stated that the rotor RPM continued to decay and the helicopter began to sink. He then attempted a run-on landing on the field approximately 150 yards from the loading truck and platform. The helicopter skids rocked up on their toes and the left skid dug into the soil, which caused the helicopter to nose over and flip onto its left side. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the helicopter. A post-accident investigation revealed no visible mechanical abnormalities. The pilot verbally stated to both this investigator and the NTSB that he suspected that the accident was caused by his helicopter being overweight for the conditions due to either returning to the loading site with residual chemicals in the tank or a valve malfunction during the loading process resulting in excessive product being supplied. The temperature was approximately 72 degrees f and the wind was calm at the time of the accident. No other evidence was found to dispute the pilot?s statement.

As the FAA filed it

THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE HELICOPTER, WHICH HAD BEEN CONDUCTING AGRICULTURAL AERIAL SPRAYING OF CHEMICALS THAT DAY, RETURNED TO BE REFUELED AND TOPPED OFF WITH ANOTHER LOAD OF CHEMICAL SOLUTION BY A GROUND CREW LOADER. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT?S STATEMENT, HE LIFTED OFF FROM THE LOADING TRUCK PLATFORM AFTER BEING CLEARED BY THE LOADER, AND THEN BEGAN FORWARD FLIGHT, WHEN THE LOW RPM HORN SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SOUND. THE PILOT PUSHED THE EMERGENCY DUMP BUTTON AND ATTEMPTED TO FLY OUT OF THE LOW RPM CONDITION BUT STATED THAT THE ROTOR RPM CONTINUED TO DECAY AND THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SINK. HE THEN ATTEMPTED A RUN-ON LANDING ON THE FIELD APPROXIMATELY 150 YARDS FROM THE LOADING TRUCK AND PLATFORM. THE HELICOPTER SKIDS ROCKED UP ON THEIR TOES AND THE LEFT SKID DUG INTO THE SOIL, WHICH CAUSED THE HELICOPTER TO NOSE OVER AND FLIP ONTO ITS LEFT SIDE. THE IMPACT RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER. A POST-ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO VISIBLE MECHANICAL ABNORMALITIES. THE PILOT VERBALLY STATED TO BOTH THIS INVESTIGATOR AND THE NTSB THAT HE SUSPECTED THAT THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY HIS HELICOPTER BEING OVERWEIGHT FOR THE CONDITIONS DUE TO EITHER RETURNING TO THE LOADING SITE WITH RESIDUAL CHEMICALS IN THE TANK OR A VALVE MALFUNCTION DURING THE LOADING PROCESS RESULTING IN EXCESSIVE PRODUCT BEING SUPPLIED. THE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 72 DEGREES F AND THE WIND WAS CALM AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. NO OTHER EVIDENCE WAS FOUND TO DISPUTE THE PILOT?S STATEMENT.

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 WPR13LA217Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportPomeroy, WAThe pilot's failure to ensure that the helicopter was properly loaded, which resulted in the helicopter being in excess of its maximum allowable gross weight and led to a loss of main rotor rpm on takeoff. Contributing to the accident were the ground…May 2, 2013 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N442RN · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 20120612010029IManeuver · Dayton, WAN442RN, a R-44 helicopter received minor damage to the spray-boom when it contacted a power-line while conducting 137 operations near Dayton, Washington. Damage was limited to the spray-boom and chin bubble. The aircraft was safely landed and there were no…Jun 12, 2012 · Minor damage