# Accident 20170825010479A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, El Dorado Hills, CA, August 25, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 25, 2017, 19:00 local time
- Place: El Dorado Hills, CA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 38.7239° N, 121.0703° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7239&lon=-121.0703&mi=10
- Aircraft: N61NM, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N61NM-2018-04-24) (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
- Pilot flight hours: 4,500 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR17LA188](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA188) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20170825010479A

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT OF N61NM EXPERIENCED ENGINE PROBLEMS AND PERFORMED AN OFF AIRPORT EMERGENCY LANDING ON

PRIVATE PROPERTY IN EL DORADO HILLS, CA. THE HELICOPTER FIRST LANDED ON AN ARRAY OF SOLAR PANELS. THE PILOT TRIED TO RELOCATE THE AIRCRAFT AND EXPERIENCED A SECOND ENGINE ISSUE WHICH ENDED WITH THE HELICOPTER GOING THROUGH A STAND OF TREES AND ROLLING ON IT'S SIDE.

## 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 WPR17LA188](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17LA188), Aug 26, 2017: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N61NM), El Dorado Hills, CA, substantial damage. Probable cause: Maintenance personnel's inadequate routine maintenance on the helicopter engine, which led to low cylinder compression, improper magneto timing, and camshaft lobe wear, which subsequently resulted in…

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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