20201016015599A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Pahrump, NV · October 16, 2020

Date: October 16, 2020 · 10:05 local
Place: Pahrump, NV
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N500DL
NTSB investigation: NTSBWPR21LA021
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 3
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,630 total2,129 in this make and model30 in the last 90 days

N500DLRegistration cancelled Jan 3, 2022 · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 1178 · Built 2002 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.

The pilot was hovering low at the edge of the pond to show the passengers a portion of the speedway facilities when he became disoriented because glare off of the water from the sun. The aircraft main rotor blades made contact with the water and the helicopter rolled over onto the left side and submerged in approximately fifteen feet of water.

As the FAA filed it

THE PILOT WAS HOVERING LOW AT THE EDGE OF THE POND TO SHOW THE PASSENGERS A PORTION OF THE SPEEDWAY FACILITIES WHEN HE BECAME DISORIENTED BECAUSE GLARE OFF OF THE WATER FROM THE SUN. THE AIRCRAFT MAIN ROTOR BLADES MADE CONTACT WITH THE WATER AND THE HELICOPTER ROLLED OVER ONTO THE LEFT SIDE AND SUBMERGED IN APPROXIMATELY FIFTEEN FEET OF WATER.

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 WPR21LA021Accident · Minor injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportPahrump, NVThe pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control while hovering low over a body a water while facing into the sun, which resulted in a loss of visual reference and subsequent impact with the lake surface.Oct 16, 2020 · Substantial damage