# Accident 20150822013239A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Lola, TX, August 22, 2015

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 22, 2015, 18:30 local time
- Place: Lola, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.0553° N, 97.5635° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.0553&lon=-97.5635&mi=10
- Aircraft: N445HS, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N445HS) (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: 2
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 395 total, 80 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN15LA375](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA375) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20150822013239A

## Narrative

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

IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CRASHED HELICOPTER?S PILOT HE STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING AT ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 250 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL CARRYING A CAMERAMAN THAT WAS FILMING ANOTHER HELICOPTER ?HOG HUNTING? FOR A REALITY SHOW. THE PILOT SAID THAT IT WAS WINDY AND GUSTY, AND HE WAS TRYING TO KEEP THE HELICOPTER ON A POSITION THAT ALLOWS THE CAMERAMAN TO FILM, WHEN SUDDENLY THE HELICOPTER STARTS SPINNING.  PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE TRIED TO CORRECT THE SPINNING BY APPLYING PEDALS THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT RESPONDING AND ENTERED ON A LOSS OF TAIL-ROTOR EFFECTIVENESS (LTE). HE ALSO STATED THAT HE THOUGHT ON MANEUVER THE HELICOPTER TO GAIN SPEED TO RECOVER FROM THE SPINNING OR MAKE AN AUTOROTATION, BUT DID NOT HAVE THE ENOUGH ALTITUDE. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUES TO SPIN OUT OF CONTROL AND CRASHED ON A HEAVILY WOODED AREA CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES TO THE PILOT AND PASSENGER. A STATEMENT FROM A WITNESS ON THE OTHER HELICOPTER AND THE CAMERAMAN IN THE CRASHED HELICOPTER CONFIRMED THE PILOT?S VERSION THAT THE HELICOPTER ENTERED ON A SPINNING CONDITION BEFORE CRASHED IN THE WOODED AREA. EXAMINATION OF THE SCENE REVEALED THE HELICOPTER RESTING ON ITS RIGHT SIDE WITH SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR BLADES WERE STILL ATTACHED TO THE HELICOPTER WITH DAMAGE CONSISTENT WITH IMPACT.

## 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 CEN15LA375](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15LA375), Aug 22, 2015: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N445HS), Carlos, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper decision to turn the helicopter toward a tailwind during an out-of-ground-effect hover, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness. Contributing to the accident was the…

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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