# Incident 20210807013509I: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Prescott, AZ, August 7, 2021

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 7, 2021, 20:39 local time
- Place: Prescott, AZ
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 34.5400° N, 112.4685° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Prescott, AZ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.5400&lon=-112.4685&mi=10
- Aircraft: N544SH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N544SH) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41585, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 970 total, 965 in this make and model, 21 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210807013509I

## Narrative

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

ON AUGUST 27, 2021, N544SH, A ROBINSON R44II OPERATED BY THE YAVAPAI COUNTY SHERIFF?S DEPARTMENT SUSTAINED MINOR DAMAGE DURING A FORCED LANDING WHILE CONDUCTING A RESCUE OPERATION OF TWO INDIVIDUALS. AS THE PILOT INITIATED LIFT OFF AND UPON REACHING 3-5 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, THE PILOT REPORTED SOME TURBULENT AIR AND FELT THE DECAY OF THE ROTOR SYSTEM. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST APPROXIMATELY 20-30 FEET FROM THE ORIGINAL LOCATION AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES CONTACTED TREES AT THE LANDING SITE. THE PILOT MAINTAINED CONTROL OF THE MAIN ROTOR SPEED WITH THE THROTTLE SUGGESTING NO MECHANICAL ISSUES. THE AIRCRAFT DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE LIMITED TO THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES.  NO BODILY INJURIES REPORTED.

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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