# Accident 20170706021489A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Ronan, MT, July 6, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 6, 2017, 17:20 local time
- Place: Ronan, MT
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 47.4764° N, 114.0553° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.4764&lon=-114.0553&mi=10
- Aircraft: N442DR, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N442DR) (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: 1
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR17LA143](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA143) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170706021489A

## Narrative

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

ON JULY 7, 2017, AT 1720 MST. A ROBINSON R44 II HELICOPTER CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES 6 MILES NORTH OF RONAN MONTANA. VISUAL METOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME. THE AIRCRAFT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED. THE PILOT RECEVIED MINOR INJORIES AND THE PASSENGER RECIEVED NONE. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT RONAN MONTANA. (7S0)

## 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 WPR17LA143](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA143), Jul 6, 2017: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N442DR), Ronan, MT, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, which resulted in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness during a low-altitude orbiting maneuver and a subsequent hard landing.

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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