20190928022409A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Sanford, ME · September 28, 2019

Date: September 28, 2019 · 10:10 local
Place: Sanford, ME
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N21EH
NTSB investigation: NTSBERA19LA287
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificates: Private pilot, student
Pilot’s flight hours: 50 total50 in this make and model

N21EHRegistration cancelled Feb 13, 2020 · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 0881 · Built 2000 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

Pilot who was seriously injured does not remember the events of the accident. A witness stated that he observed the helicopter maneuvering near the area of the windsock but could not tell from the distance he was at if the helicopter was maneuvering over the paved runway or on the grass. He observed the helicopter wildly rotate left and right and spin completely around either one or two full revolutions, he then observed the helicopter climb and then stated that the tail went almost vertical and the helicopter crashed to the ground.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT WHO WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED DOES NOT REMEMBER THE EVENTS OF THE ACCIDENT. A WITNESS STATED THAT HE OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER MANEUVERING NEAR THE AREA OF THE WINDSOCK BUT COULD NOT TELL FROM THE DISTANCE HE WAS AT IF THE HELICOPTER WAS MANEUVERING OVER THE PAVED RUNWAY OR ON THE GRASS. HE OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER WILDLY ROTATE LEFT AND RIGHT AND SPIN COMPLETELY AROUND EITHER ONE OR TWO FULL REVOLUTIONS, HE THEN OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER CLIMB AND THEN STATED THAT THE TAIL WENT ALMOST VERTICAL AND THE HELICOPTER CRASHED TO THE GROUND.

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 ERA19LA287Accident · Serious injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportSanford, METhe student pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control while hover-taxiing in gusting wind conditions.Sep 28, 2019 · Substantial damage