# Accident 20190629008429A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Parsons, WV, June 29, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 29, 2019, 11:39 local time
- Place: Parsons, WV
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.2269° N, 79.7208° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.2269&lon=-79.7208&mi=10
- Aircraft: N883TY, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N883TY-2020-12-05) (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: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 3
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 800 total, 600 in this make and model, 22 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA19TA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19TA204) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190629008429A

## Narrative

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

PART 91 FLIGHT FOLLOWING CONTOUR OF CHEAT RIVER NORTHBOUND APPROXIMATELY 60' TO 100' AGL.  AFTER NAVIGATING A RH BEND IN THE RIVER, PILOT OBSERVED POWER LINES SPANNING THE RIVER.  ATTEMPTED TO DESCEND TO AVOID POWER LINES DUE TO INADEQUATE POWER TO GO OVER TOP OF POWER LINES.  MAIN ROTOR CONTACTED LOWER LINE (TELEPHONE CABLE), APPROXIMATELY 40' TO 60' ABOVE WATER RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND IMPACT WITH RIVER.  ROTORCRAFT SETTLED IN APPROXIMATELY 3' TO 5' OF WATER, INVERTED WITH RH SIDE DOWN. THERE WERE NO VISIBILITY MARKER BALLS ON POWER LINES.

## 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 ERA19TA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19TA204), Jun 29, 2019: Robinson R44 (N883TY), Parsons, WV, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to maneuver the helicopter at low altitude over a river, which resulted in a wire strike and subsequent collision with terrain.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.