# Incident 20150306005309I: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Irwindale, CA, March 6, 2015

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 6, 2015, 16:00 local time
- Place: Irwindale, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.1118° N, 117.9636° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Irwindale, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.1118&lon=-117.9636&mi=10
- Aircraft: N41352, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N41352) (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: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,784 total, 312 in this make and model, 57 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150306005309I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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