20180108000559A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Albany, TX · January 8, 2018

Date: January 8, 2018 · 13:40 local
Place: Albany, TX
Airport: Albany Municipal Airport
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N797JR
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN18LA069
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,000 total1,900 in this make and model150 in the last 90 days

N797JRRegistration cancelled Feb 24, 2021 · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11030 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II Engine modelLycoming IO-540 seriesReciprocating

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.

January 8, 2018, at approximately 1340 local, N797JR, a Robinson R44 helicopter experiencing possible rotor motor failure struck a group of trees near Albany, Texas. The helicopter was on personel use flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and pilot sustained no injuries. Flight originated from Albany, Texas municipal airport on January 8, 2018, at approximately 0730 local.

As the FAA filed it

JANUARY 8, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 1340 LOCAL, N797JR, A ROBINSON R44 HELICOPTER EXPERIENCING POSSIBLE ROTOR MOTOR FAILURE STRUCK A GROUP OF TREES NEAR ALBANY, TEXAS. THE HELICOPTER WAS ON PERSONEL USE FLIGHT. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND PILOT SUSTAINED NO INJURIES. FLIGHT ORIGINATED FROM ALBANY, TEXAS MUNICIPAL AIRPORT ON JANUARY 8, 2018, AT APPROXIMATELY 0730 LOCAL.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CEN18LA069Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportAlbany, TXA loss of helicopter control for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures of the main rotor and tail rotor systems that would have precluded normal operation.Jan 8, 2018 · Substantial damage