20151005018309A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Devine, TX · October 5, 2015

Date
October 5, 2015 · 16:00 local
Place
Devine, TX
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N174CD
NTSB investigation
NTSBGAA16CA006
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Airline transport
Pilot’s flight hours
14,233 total83 in this make and model80 in the last 90 days

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.

N174CD lifted off of an un approved ranch area and directly contacted overhead powerlines with the rotor blades.

N174CD subsequently contacted the ground and was substantially damaged, the pilot received minor cuts to the forehead and left wrist.

As the FAA filed it

N174CD LIFTED OFF OF AN UN APPROVED RANCH AREA AND DIRECTLY CONTACTED OVERHEAD POWERLINES WITH THE ROTOR BLADES.

N174CD SUBSEQUENTLY CONTACTED THE GROUND AND WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED, THE PILOT RECEIVED MINOR CUTS TO THE FOREHEAD AND LEFT WRIST.

NTSB investigation

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