# Accident 20140322004959A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Menard, TX, March 22, 2014

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 22, 2014, 20:05 local time
- Place: Menard, TX
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.9104° N, 99.7806° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.9104&lon=-99.7806&mi=10
- Aircraft: N44MD, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N44MD-2016-06-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (registry code 41899, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540-AE1A5
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 6,335 total, 348 in this make and model, 41 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN14LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA197) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140322004959A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 CEN14LA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14LA197), Mar 23, 2014: Robinson R44 - II (N44MD), Menard, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s inadequate recovery from a practice autorotation, which resulted in an improper touchdown attitude and collision with terrain.

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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