# Accident 20200912020889A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Willow, AK, September 12, 2020

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 12, 2020, 17:30 local time
- Place: Willow, AK
- Airport: Willow Lake
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 61.7472° N, 150.0375° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Willow, AK, within about 15 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.7472&lon=-150.0375&mi=10
- Aircraft: N537BC (not matched to a registry record)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 575 total, 556 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200912020889A

## Narrative

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

PILOT LANDED AT PERSONAL PAD LAKESIDE ON WILLOW LAKE TO DROP OFF PASSENGER.  PILOT THEN RELOCATED TO ADJACENT AIRPORT TO REFUEL AND RETURN.  DURING RETURN ARRIVAL, PILOT ALLOWED GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS TO OVERTAKE HIS DIRECTIONAL SKILLS, IN THE PROCESS DRIFTING AFT IN PREVAILING WIND AND PUT M/R BLADE INTO SPRUCE TREE.  BLADES SEVERED TOP HALF OF TREE, BLADES REMAINED INTACT AND A/C SETTLED HARD ONTO PAD, BREAKING FRONT OF LEFT SKID TOE, WITH TOP OF TREE FALLING THROUGH CANOPY.  NORMAL SHUTDOWN PERFORMED WITH NO INJURIES.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

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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