# Accident 20200406003849A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Hillsboro, OR, April 6, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 6, 2020, 14:05 local time
- Place: Hillsboro, OR
- Airport: Portland-Hillsboro
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Rotation
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.5422° N, 122.9508° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.5422&lon=-122.9508&mi=10
- Aircraft: N725GT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N725GT) (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: 0
- Pilot certificates: Airline transport
- Pilot flight hours: 11,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR20LA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA119) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200406003849A

## Narrative

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

UPON DEPARTURE FROM THE RAMP AREA, AT APPROXIMATELY 30 FT AGL AND AT 30 KIAS, THE PILOT INDICATED THEY HEARD AND FELT A LOUD ?BANG?, FOLLOWED BY A NOTICEABLE REDUCTION IN ENGINE RPM.  THE PILOT THEN OBSERVED THE LOW ROTOR RPM HORN AND WARNING LIGHT, AND ENTERED INTO AN AUTOROTATION.  UPON LANDING ON THE TAXIWAY, THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE TAIL SECTION AND LANDING GEAR.

TWO WITNESSES ON THE GROUND OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT?S DEPARTURE, EACH NOTING AN AUDIBLE ?POP? FOLLOWED BY A PARTIAL REDUCTION IN ENGINE RPM AS THE AIRCRAFT CLIMBED TO APPROXIMATELY 30 FT AGL.  ONE WITNESSES ON THE GROUND OBSERVED THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE POST LANDING.

DURING THE POST-CRASH TEARDOWN, SEPARATION BETWEEN THE OUTER AND INNER LAYERS OF THE ENGINE AIR INDUCTION HOSE, ROBINSON PART NUMBER A785-31, MANUFACTURING BATCH CODE 3Q17, WAS OBSERVED.  THE AIR INDUCTION HOSE WAS SENT TO THE NTSB LAB FOR FURTHER TESTING AND COULD NOT BE DETERMINED AS A CAUSAL FACTOR THE INVESTIGATION.

## 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 WPR20LA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR20LA119), Apr 6, 2020: Robinson R44 (N725GT), Hillsboro, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: The total loss of engine power during takeoff due to the delamination of the fuel servo induction air inlet duct tube.

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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