20200331002989A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Audubon, IA · March 31, 2020

Date: March 31, 2020 · 16:28 local
Place: Audubon, IA
Airport: Audubon County Airport
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N107EH
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN20LA136
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 945 total665 in this make and model68 in the last 90 days

N107EHRegistration cancelled Mar 4, 2023 · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 10423 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II

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.

A Robinson R44 ii helicopter flying level at low altitude, 85-90 feet AGL, contacted the bottom two lines of a power transmission, high voltage, line. The lines entangled around the main rotor mast and rotor head, causing the helicopter to crash, killing both occupants on-board. Post-crash fire destroyed the helicopter.

As the FAA filed it

A ROBINSON R44 II HELICOPTER FLYING LEVEL AT LOW ALTITUDE, 85-90 FEET AGL, CONTACTED THE BOTTOM TWO LINES OF A POWER TRANSMISSION, HIGH VOLTAGE, LINE. THE LINES ENTANGLED AROUND THE MAIN ROTOR MAST AND ROTOR HEAD, CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO CRASH, KILLING BOTH OCCUPANTS ON-BOARD. POST-CRASH FIRE DESTROYED THE HELICOPTER.

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 CEN20LA136Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportAudubon, IAThe pilot’s failure to recognize and avoid the power line during the low-altitude flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue, which affected the pilot’s ability to see and avoid the power line.Mar 31, 2020 · Destroyed