# Accident 20210830008789A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Gustavus, AK, August 30, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 30, 2021, 13:15 local time
- Place: Gustavus, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: Rotorcraft external load (Part 133)
- Operator: 1TQL
- Location: 58.0903° N, 136.4133° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=58.0903&lon=-136.4133&mi=10
- Aircraft: N878CB, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N878CB) (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 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 1,324 total, 785 in this make and model, 118 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC21LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC21LA079) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210830008789A

## Narrative

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

PILOT WAS TRANSPORTING PROPANE '420' TANKS BY EXTERNAL SHORT SLING (10 FT REACH + 3 FOOT HARNESS) FROM BEACH REFUELING AT SEA LEVEL TO REMOTE REPEATER SITE AT 2400 MSL.  INTENDED DROP SITE WAS DEPRESSION ON ROUGH TERRAIN HILLSIDE NEXT TO PROPANE TANK FARM.  THIS WAS ELEVENTH TANK DROP, AND UPON ARRIVAL, WORKERS WERE MOVING IN THE LZ, CAUSING PILOT TO STOP APPROACH ~75 SHORT OF SITE AT OGE HOVER WITH LOAD.  AFTER WORKERS CLEARED LZ, PILOT MOVED FORWARD TO DROP OFF TANK WITH NO DISCERNABLE WIND.   WHILE AT ~15 AGL, RPM DROOPED WHICH PILOT RESPONDED TO WITH REDUCED COLLECTIVE ADDED THROTTLE AND JETTISON LOAD.  AIRCRAFT SETTLED ONTO PROPANE TANK CRUSHING REAR COWLING AND BENDING RT SKID.  A/C SHUT DOWN WITH NO INJURIES OR FURTHER MALFUNCTION.

## 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 ANC21LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC21LA079), Aug 30, 2021: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N878CB), Pelican, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s improper preflight planning to ensure adequate power to hover out-of-ground effect while conducting external load operations.

## Other reports on N878CB (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Incident 20200710004789I](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20200710004789I), Jul 10, 2020: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (N878CB), Neets Bay, AK, Minor damage. The operator was conducting flights at a remote location in Neets Bay, Alaska which is located approximately 29 miles north of ketchikan. The flights occurred…

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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