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20130524010899A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Cross Timbers, MO · May 24, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
May 24, 2013 · 17:51 local
Place
Cross Timbers, MO
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N569BC
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN13FA295
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
1,500 total
N569BCRegistration cancelled Aug 18, 2014 · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11349 · Built 2006Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 IIEngine modelLycoming IO-540-AE1A5Reciprocating

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 was flying at a very low altitude on a southwesterly heading. The helicopter struck the ground wire, normally suspended about 65 feet above the ground, above a set of electrical power lines. The wire wrapped around the main rotor shaft and trailed the helicopter. He lost control of the aircraft and it impacted surrounding trees and the ground. The helicopter was destroyed by the impact and post-crash fire.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS FLYING AT A VERY LOW ALTITUDE ON A SOUTHWESTERLY HEADING. THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE GROUND WIRE, NORMALLY SUSPENDED ABOUT 65 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, ABOVE A SET OF ELECTRICAL POWER LINES. THE WIRE WRAPPED AROUND THE MAIN ROTOR SHAFT AND TRAILED THE HELICOPTER. HE LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND IT IMPACTED SURROUNDING TREES AND THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED BY THE IMPACT AND POST-CRASH FIRE.

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 CEN13FA295Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportCross Timbers, MOThe pilot's failure to see and avoid a power line during the low-altitude flight.May 24, 2013 · Destroyed