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20150306005309I

Incident · Substantial damage
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FAA incident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Irwindale, CA · March 6, 2015

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
March 6, 2015 · 16:00 local
Place
Irwindale, CA
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N41352
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
3,784 total312 in this make and model57 in the last 90 days
N41352Registered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 12352 · Built 2008Airframe 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.

Flight instructor, privacy data omitted, was providing flight instruction to private pilot,privacy data omitted, when on an approach to their landing area, at the santa fe dam, the tail rotor blades struck a yucca plant. privacy data omitted And privacy data omitted made several approaches to the same area before the helicopter struck the yucca plant. The approaches included normal, shallow, steep, and auto-rotations. The approaches were being made into the sun due to the wind direction from the southwest. On the approach when the helicopter hit the yucca plant, at about 5-8 feet high they felt an unusual thump. They landed and shut down the helicopter to perform an inspection for any possible mechanical problem. The inspection found damaged tail rotor blades. When they looked around to see what they had hit, they saw a yucca plant where they were making the approaches. They thought the area was clear and did not see the yucca plant.

The helicopter was trucked to french valley airport for maintenance. Both of the tail rotor blades were damaged and need replacement. privacy data omitted Stated that only one of the tail rotor blades were damaged. The helicopter also has a large crack in the fire wall. The helicopter had evidence of a hard landing; however, the pilots stated they were in a hover when they hit a yucca plant. The yucca plant that privacy data omitted stated they hit did not appear to have been hit by the helicopter.

The helicopter is at helicopter rebuilds international, inc. for repair. Tim gibler, the president stated it will be a couple of weeks before he can inspect the helicopter for further damage and repair the known damage.

This is the second time one of privacy data omitted students was involved in an accident in three weeks. Because of this I am recommending a 44709 re-exam of privacy data omitted CFI certificate.

Refer to WRP15CA120 for the first accident.

NTSB has indicated they will not issue an accident number until they have made a determination. This occurrence will be upgraded to an accident if the NTSB issues an accident number in the future.

As the FAA filed it

FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WAS PROVIDING FLIGHT INSTRUCTION TO PRIVATE PILOT,^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, WHEN ON AN APPROACH TO THEIR LANDING AREA, AT THE SANTA FE DAM, THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES STRUCK A YUCCA PLANT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ MADE SEVERAL APPROACHES TO THE SAME AREA BEFORE THE HELICOPTER STRUCK THE YUCCA PLANT. THE APPROACHES INCLUDED NORMAL, SHALLOW, STEEP, AND AUTO-ROTATIONS. THE APPROACHES WERE BEING MADE INTO THE SUN DUE TO THE WIND DIRECTION FROM THE SOUTHWEST. ON THE APPROACH WHEN THE HELICOPTER HIT THE YUCCA PLANT, AT ABOUT 5-8 FEET HIGH THEY FELT AN UNUSUAL THUMP. THEY LANDED AND SHUT DOWN THE HELICOPTER TO PERFORM AN INSPECTION FOR ANY POSSIBLE MECHANICAL PROBLEM. THE INSPECTION FOUND DAMAGED TAIL ROTOR BLADES. WHEN THEY LOOKED AROUND TO SEE WHAT THEY HAD HIT, THEY SAW A YUCCA PLANT WHERE THEY WERE MAKING THE APPROACHES. THEY THOUGHT THE AREA WAS CLEAR AND DID NOT SEE THE YUCCA PLANT.

THE HELICOPTER WAS TRUCKED TO FRENCH VALLEY AIRPORT FOR MAINTENANCE. BOTH OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED AND NEED REPLACEMENT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THAT ONLY ONE OF THE TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE DAMAGED. THE HELICOPTER ALSO HAS A LARGE CRACK IN THE FIRE WALL. THE HELICOPTER HAD EVIDENCE OF A HARD LANDING; HOWEVER, THE PILOTS STATED THEY WERE IN A HOVER WHEN THEY HIT A YUCCA PLANT. THE YUCCA PLANT THAT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED THEY HIT DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN HIT BY THE HELICOPTER.

THE HELICOPTER IS AT HELICOPTER REBUILDS INTERNATIONAL, INC. FOR REPAIR. TIM GIBLER, THE PRESIDENT STATED IT WILL BE A COUPLE OF WEEKS BEFORE HE CAN INSPECT THE HELICOPTER FOR FURTHER DAMAGE AND REPAIR THE KNOWN DAMAGE.

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME ONE OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STUDENTS WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN THREE WEEKS. BECAUSE OF THIS I AM RECOMMENDING A 44709 RE-EXAM OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ CFI CERTIFICATE.

REFER TO WRP15CA120 FOR THE FIRST ACCIDENT.

NTSB HAS INDICATED THEY WILL NOT ISSUE AN ACCIDENT NUMBER UNTIL THEY HAVE MADE A DETERMINATION. THIS OCCURRENCE WILL BE UPGRADED TO AN ACCIDENT IF THE NTSB ISSUES AN ACCIDENT NUMBER IN THE FUTURE.