# Accident 20140208004499A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Panacea, FL, February 8, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 8, 2014, 19:45 local time
- Place: Panacea, FL
- Airport: Wakulla County
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 29.9894° N, 84.3911° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.9894&lon=-84.3911&mi=10
- Aircraft: N571AC, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N571AC-2015-06-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 335 total, 314 in this make and model, 8 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA14FA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA115) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140208004499A

## Narrative

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

FEBRUARY 8, 2014, AT 1945, A ROBINSON 44, REGISTERED TO CAPITAL HELICOPTERS LLC,  LIFTED OFF FACING TO THE SOUTH RWY 18 AND THEN TURNING NORTH FROM WAKULLA COUNTY   AIRPORT (2J0)THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH TREES  AND POWER LINES CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO CRASH  INVERTED INTO A SWAMP APPROXIMATELY 300 TO 400 YARDS FROM THE LANDING PAD.  VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED AND THE PILOT AND ONE PASSENGER WERE FATALITIES. ONE PASSENGER WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT WAKULLA COUNTY AIRPORT (2J0) AT ON FEBRUARY 8, 2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 1944.

## 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 ERA14FA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA115), Feb 9, 2014: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N571AC), Panacea, FL, substantial damage, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees during a takeoff at night. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent night flight experience.

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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