# Accident 20171129022179A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, New Orleans, LA, November 29, 2017

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: November 29, 2017, 16:30 local time
- Place: New Orleans, LA
- Airport: Lakefront
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Other, Specify
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.0400° N, 90.0225° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.0400&lon=-90.0225&mi=10
- Aircraft: N744WT, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N744WT-2019-08-15) (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: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,200 in this make and model, 120 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB GAA18CA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA066) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171129022179A

## Narrative

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

ON NOVEMBER 29, 2017, N744WT, AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 LOCAL, N744WT, A ROBINSON R-44II, SERIAL NUMBER 11489 WAS BEING REPOSITIONED FROM THE RAMP TO A FLATBED TRAILER POSITIONED IN A NON-MOVEMENT AREA AT NEW ORLEANS LAKEFRONT AIRPORT (KNEW). THE ROTORCRAFT WAS GOING TO BE HAULED TO A MAINTENANCE FACILITY AT BATON ROUGE AIRPORT (BTR). WHILE ATTEMPTING TO HOVER THE HELICOPTER INTO POSITION ON THE TRAILER, THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE ROTORCRAFT CONTACTING THE GROUND AND A NEARBY AIRCRAFT N700FA, A GULFSTREAM G-150, SERIAL NUMBER 278.

THERE WERE NO INJURIES, BUT N744WT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE. THE G-150, N700FA WAS PARKED/UNCOPIED AND RECEIVED MINIMAL DAMAGE.

## 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 GAA18CA066](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA066), Nov 29, 2017: Robinson Helicopter R44 (N744WT), New Orleans, LA, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to land the helicopter with both skids on the trailer platform, which resulted in a loss of control.

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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