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20131017020639A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Sedro_woolly, WA · October 17, 2013

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 17, 2013 · 21:15 local
Place
Sedro_woolly, WA
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N414CC
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR14CA019
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
256 total256 in this make and model94 in the last 90 days
N414CCRegistration cancelled Apr 22, 2019 · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 13401Airframe 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.

On 10/17/2013, at approximately 2130 hours PDT, Robinson R-44II helicopter, N414CC, operating under 14CFR91, crashed after encountering instrument meteorlogical conditions (IMC) during take off climb.

N414CC departed a private residence in a rural area under visual flight rules (VFR) enroute to seattle Boeing field, king county international (kbfi) airport. The pilot inadvertently entered a layer of radiation fog at 60 feet AGL causing loss of ground reference. The main rotor blade struck a tree top which also shattered the lower cockpit bubble. The pilot performed an emergency descent in IMC conditions and regained visual ground reference just prior to impact. The helicopter landed hard striking the ground left skid low with no forward motion. The impact collapsed the left skid struts, causing the retreating main rotor blade to strike the ground. The helicopter came to rest on its top left side sustaining substantial damage to the rotor system, fuselage, tail boom, and skid landing gear.

The pilot and passenger suffered minor cuts and abrasions not requiring medical treatment and exited the wreckage unassisted.

As the FAA filed it

ON 10/17/2013, AT APPROXIMATELY 2130 HOURS PDT, ROBINSON R-44II HELICOPTER, N414CC, OPERATING UNDER 14CFR91, CRASHED AFTER ENCOUNTERING INSTRUMENT METEORLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) DURING TAKE OFF CLIMB.

N414CC DEPARTED A PRIVATE RESIDENCE IN A RURAL AREA UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES (VFR) ENROUTE TO SEATTLE BOEING FIELD, KING COUNTY INTERNATIONAL (KBFI) AIRPORT. THE PILOT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A LAYER OF RADIATION FOG AT 60 FEET AGL CAUSING LOSS OF GROUND REFERENCE. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRUCK A TREE TOP WHICH ALSO SHATTERED THE LOWER COCKPIT BUBBLE. THE PILOT PERFORMED AN EMERGENCY DESCENT IN IMC CONDITIONS AND REGAINED VISUAL GROUND REFERENCE JUST PRIOR TO IMPACT. THE HELICOPTER LANDED HARD STRIKING THE GROUND LEFT SKID LOW WITH NO FORWARD MOTION. THE IMPACT COLLAPSED THE LEFT SKID STRUTS, CAUSING THE RETREATING MAIN ROTOR BLADE TO STRIKE THE GROUND. THE HELICOPTER CAME TO REST ON ITS TOP LEFT SIDE SUSTAINING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR SYSTEM, FUSELAGE, TAIL BOOM, AND SKID LANDING GEAR.

THE PILOT AND PASSENGER SUFFERED MINOR CUTS AND ABRASIONS NOT REQUIRING MEDICAL TREATMENT AND EXITED THE WRECKAGE UNASSISTED.

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 WPR14CA019Accident · No injuriesData collectionFinal reportSedro Woolley, WAThe non-instrument rated pilot's inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions during initial climb and his improper decision to continue flight, which resulted in an in-flight impact with a tree and an emergency descent that resulted in a…Oct 18, 2013 · Substantial damage