20210820014649A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Gonzales, LA · August 20, 2021

Date: August 20, 2021 · 23:30 local
Place: Gonzales, LA
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N222VB
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN21LA378
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,500 total2,000 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

N222VBRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 10009 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II Engine modelLycoming IO-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.

Helicopter was approaching landing area on private property at night, pilot was attempting to maneuver away from a tree, when he initiated a pedal turn causing the tail rotor to contact the tree. This caused the aircraft to descend vertically allowing the main rotor blades to contact the tree as well. Helicopter impacted the ground, on the skids, causing substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom and tail rotor area. No injuries were reported.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER WAS APPROACHING LANDING AREA ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AT NIGHT, PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO MANEUVER AWAY FROM A TREE, WHEN HE INITIATED A PEDAL TURN CAUSING THE TAIL ROTOR TO CONTACT THE TREE. THIS CAUSED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND VERTICALLY ALLOWING THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES TO CONTACT THE TREE AS WELL. HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND, ON THE SKIDS, CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, TAIL BOOM AND TAIL ROTOR AREA. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED.

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 CEN21LA378Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportGonzales, LAThe pilot’s inadvertent collision with a tree while landing at night which resulted in a hard landing.Aug 21, 2021 · Substantial damage