20150320002649A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Lake Hamilton, AR · March 20, 2015

Date: March 20, 2015 · 20:00 local
Place: Lake Hamilton, AR
Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N701CT
NTSB investigation: NTSBGAA15CA013
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,500 total500 in this make and model100 in the last 90 days

N701CTRegistration cancelled Mar 28, 2018 · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 1161 · Built 2002 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

On March 20, 2015, at 2000 CST a Robinson R44, N701CT collided with trees after an attempted landing to a private property near Lake Hamilton, AR. The private pilot received minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft was being operated by privacy data omitted as a pleasure flight operating under 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 when the accident occurred. Visual meteorological conditions with dusk light prevailed at the time of the accident, and the flight operated under visual flight rules. The flight originated in stuttgart, AR at 1900 CST, no flight plan was on file.

The accident occurred when the helicopter touched down and the skids rocked aft causing the tail skid to strike dirt surface area behind the elevated pad. The pilot reacted by applying full collective and redirecting the helicopter forward and right into the wooded area adjacent to the pad. The helicopter was destroyed.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 20, 2015, AT 2000 CST A ROBINSON R44, N701CT COLLIDED WITH TREES AFTER AN ATTEMPTED LANDING TO A PRIVATE PROPERTY NEAR LAKE HAMILTON, AR. THE PRIVATE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED. THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AS A PLEASURE FLIGHT OPERATING UNDER 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WITH DUSK LIGHT PREVAILED AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT, AND THE FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER VISUAL FLIGHT RULES. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED IN STUTTGART, AR AT 1900 CST, NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS ON FILE.

THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE HELICOPTER TOUCHED DOWN AND THE SKIDS ROCKED AFT CAUSING THE TAIL SKID TO STRIKE DIRT SURFACE AREA BEHIND THE ELEVATED PAD. THE PILOT REACTED BY APPLYING FULL COLLECTIVE AND REDIRECTING THE HELICOPTER FORWARD AND RIGHT INTO THE WOODED AREA ADJACENT TO THE PAD. THE HELICOPTER WAS DESTROYED.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB GAA15CA013Accident · Minor injuriesData collectionFinal reportLake Hamilton, ARThe pilot's overcorrection to the landing pad shifting, which resulted in the helicopter impacting trees. A factor contributing to the accident was the collapse of the landing pad.Mar 21, 2015 · Substantial damage