# Accident 20210326005769A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Dustin, OK, March 26, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 26, 2021, 15:15 local time
- Place: Dustin, OK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 35.2707° N, 96.0308° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.2707&lon=-96.0308&mi=10
- Aircraft: N178DF, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N178DF-2023-06-28) (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: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 4
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 3,687 total, 1,447 in this make and model, 112 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN21LA173](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA173) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210326005769A

## Narrative

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

THE PILOT WAS HIRED ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR HOG DEPREDATION.  ON MARCH 26, 2021 THE PILOT PICKED UP THREE PASSENGERS FROM THE PROPERTY, FLEW TO HENRIETTA AIRPORT (F10) TO GET FUEL, AND THEN RETURNED TO START HOG HUNTING.  THEY FLEW FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR AND TWENTY MINUTES BEFORE THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.  AT APPROXIMATELY 1515 LOCAL TIME THE PILOT LOST PERFORMANCE AND RECEIVED A LOW ROTOR RPM WARNING. APPROXIMATELY 5 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A TREE WITH THE ROTOR BLADE ROLLING THE AIRCRAFT TO THE RIGHT. THE AIRCRAFT THEN CONTACTED THE GROUND ON THE RIGHT SIDE.  THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  2 PEOPLE SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES AND 2 PEOPLE SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES.

## 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 CEN21LA173](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA173), Mar 26, 2021: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N178DF), Dustin, OK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s insufficient monitoring of the helicopter’s power while flying at low altitude and at low airspeed, which resulted in the loss of rotor rpm and impact with a tree and terrain.

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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