# Accident 20160826025019A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Kailua Kona, HI, August 26, 2016

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 26, 2016, 07:45 local time
- Place: Kailua Kona, HI
- Airport: Kona International At Keahole
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: RP8S
- Location: 19.7431° N, 156.0328° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=19.7431&lon=-156.0328&mi=10
- Aircraft: N74805, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N74805-2018-12-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 650 total, 74 in this make and model, 126 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR16LA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16LA168) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20160826025019A

## Narrative

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

8/26/16 A R44 PILOTED BY STUDENT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND CFI ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AFTER A SOFT LANDING WENT INTO AN UNCONTROLLABLE WOBBLE, MOMENTARILY AIRBORNE AND CRASHED UNDER QUESTIONABLE CIRCUMSTANCES.

PILOTS INDICATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT OF THE DAY FOR THEM AND THE LANDING APPEARED TO BE A VERY NICE APPROACH AND TOUCH DOWN.  MOMENTS AFTER TOUCH DOWN, AS THE COLLECTIVE WAS LOWERED THE STUDENT AND PILOT NOTICED A WOBBLE THAT PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE.  THE AIRCRAFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND CFI CAME ON THE CONTROLS IN AN EFFORT TO STOP THE AIRCRAFT .  THE HELICOPTER FLEW LIKE 20-30 FEET FROM INITIAL LANDING AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY  DAMAGED FROM WOBBLE AND FORE AND AFT MOVEMENTS.

PILOTS BELIEVE THAT IT WAS MECHANICAL ERROR.

INSPECTORS REEVES AND WILSON DID NOT FIND ANY MECHANICAL ERRORS WITH AIRCRAFT.

NO MECHANICAL ISSUES COULD BE DETERMINED FROM PHOTOS SENT TO  ROBINSON MANUFACTURER.

## 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 WPR16LA168](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR16LA168), Aug 26, 2016: Robinson R44 (N74805), Kailua/Kona, HI, substantial damage. Probable cause: An on-ground upset for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded…

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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