20210405005839A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Johnson City, KS · April 5, 2021

Date: April 5, 2021 · 17:00 local
Place: Johnson City, KS
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N8348X
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN21LA184
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540F1 SERIE
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 2,235 total64 in this make and model12 in the last 90 days

N8348XRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 0332 · Built 1997 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 Engine modelLycoming 0-540F1 SERIEReciprocating

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 aircraft privacy data omittedpilot stated he and his passenger/son were flying out to check crops. His adult son was riding along because he wants to be a pilot too. Automatic weather reporting from kjhn was clear with winds at 180 degrees at 10 KTS gusting to 14 KTS. Pilot said they were in a low hover when the aircraft suddenly yawed through 1 to 1.5 turns before ground contact in a left skid low attitude. The aircraft skids were damaged enough to be separated from the aircraft. There was no visible evidence of main blade contact with the tail boom. The main rotor blades did contact the ground and sustained twisting and bending damage but remained connected to the main rotor head. Both people egressed without injury. The FAA gave permission to move the wreck to the owner?s barn. In the barn, he manipulated the tail rotor to see if it was connected to the driveline. He stated that it was properly connected to the driveshaft and the pitch controls.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT STATED HE AND HIS PASSENGER/SON WERE FLYING OUT TO CHECK CROPS. HIS ADULT SON WAS RIDING ALONG BECAUSE HE WANTS TO BE A PILOT TOO. AUTOMATIC WEATHER REPORTING FROM KJHN WAS CLEAR WITH WINDS AT 180 DEGREES AT 10 KTS GUSTING TO 14 KTS. PILOT SAID THEY WERE IN A LOW HOVER WHEN THE AIRCRAFT SUDDENLY YAWED THROUGH 1 TO 1.5 TURNS BEFORE GROUND CONTACT IN A LEFT SKID LOW ATTITUDE. THE AIRCRAFT SKIDS WERE DAMAGED ENOUGH TO BE SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE EVIDENCE OF MAIN BLADE CONTACT WITH THE TAIL BOOM. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES DID CONTACT THE GROUND AND SUSTAINED TWISTING AND BENDING DAMAGE BUT REMAINED CONNECTED TO THE MAIN ROTOR HEAD. BOTH PEOPLE EGRESSED WITHOUT INJURY. THE FAA GAVE PERMISSION TO MOVE THE WRECK TO THE OWNER?S BARN. IN THE BARN, HE MANIPULATED THE TAIL ROTOR TO SEE IF IT WAS CONNECTED TO THE DRIVELINE. HE STATED THAT IT WAS PROPERLY CONNECTED TO THE DRIVESHAFT AND THE PITCH CONTROLS.

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 CEN21LA184Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportJohnson, KSThe pilot's inadequate pedal application during a transition to hover, which resulted in a loss of yaw control and a subsequent impact with terrain.Apr 5, 2021 · Substantial damage