20140322004959A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Menard, TX · March 22, 2014

Date
March 22, 2014 · 20:05 local
Place
Menard, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N44MD
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN14LA197
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
6,335 total348 in this make and model41 in the last 90 days

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.

During recovery from a practice autorotation the tail skid contacted the ground. A main rotor blade then struck the tail boom and the rotorcraft rolled onto its right side.

As the FAA filed it

DURING RECOVERY FROM A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION THE TAIL SKID CONTACTED THE GROUND. A MAIN ROTOR BLADE THEN STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM AND THE ROTORCRAFT ROLLED ONTO ITS RIGHT SIDE.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.