# Accident 20150102001609A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Barranquitas, PR, January 2, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 2, 2015, 16:40 local time
- Place: Barranquitas, PR
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 18.2097° N, 66.2939° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.2097&lon=-66.2939&mi=10
- Aircraft: N3183T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3183T-2017-05-08) (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: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 443 total, 36 in this make and model, 59 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA15CA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA089) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150102001609A

## Narrative

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

ON JANUARY 02, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 21:18Z, A ROBINSON HELICOPTER R-44II (N3183T) WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DESTROYED AFTER THE PILOT TRY TO LAND ON A PRIVATE FIELD IN BARRANQUITAS, PR. THE PIC INFORMED THAT WHEN HE WAS READY TO LAND, HE TOUCH DOWN THE AIRCRAFT LIGHT ON SKIDS THEN HE MOVED THE CYCLIC FORWARD, THEN THE HELICOPTER PITCH FORWARDS. THEN THE PILOT MOVED THE CYCLIC BACKWARDS TO THE PREVIOUS ANGLE AND THE HELICOPTER PITCHED BACKWARDS AND THEN SUDDENLY  THE PILOT HEARD A BIG NOISE ON THE BACK OF THE HELICOPTER WITH A VIBRATION ON THE COCKPIT.  HE IMMEDIATELY THE PILOT PULL THE COLLECTIVE AND ROLLED THE THROTTLE TO MAXIMUM BUT THE HELICOPTER START TO SPIN CLOCKWISE OUT OF THE LANDING SPOT WHICH HE COULDN?T STOP APPLYING FULL LEFT PEDAL. HE LEVELED THE HELICOPTER STILL SPINNING AND TRIES TO MAKE IT BACK TO THE LANDING SPOT BUT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH POWER TO KEEP THE HELICOPTER IN THE AIR AND THE LEFT SKID HIT THE GROUND AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED TO THE LEFT. THE PILOT CUT OFF THE MIXTURE OF THE ENGINE AND ALL SWITCHES. NONE OF THE PASSENGER SUFFERED A BIG INJURE.

## 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 ERA15CA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA089), Jan 2, 2015: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N3183T), Barranquitas, PR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while landing which resulted in a tailrotor ground strike 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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