# Accident 20210915014559A: Robinson Helicopter Co R66, Monticello, GA, September 15, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 15, 2021, 20:45 local time
- Place: Monticello, GA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: BFNJ
- Location: 33.1763° N, 83.7693° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.1763&lon=-83.7693&mi=10
- Aircraft: N888DV, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N888DV) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R66 (registry code 7640130, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r66) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R66
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 6,000 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA21FA362](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21FA362) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210915014559A

## Narrative

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

09/15/2021 - N888DV SERIAL # 1000  OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TRAVELING FROM THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA TO A UNKNOWN DESTINATION WENT MISSING FROM RADAR @ 2045 OVER THE OCONEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FORREST IN JASPER COUNTY GEORGIA. 09/16/2021 @ 1245, N888DV WAS LOCATED ON A HILL SIDE APPROX. 1 MILE EAST OF  JULIETTE ROAD IN JASPER COUNTY. AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A HIGH ANGLE HIGH ENERGY IMPACT TO THE TERRAIN.  THE WEATHER AT THE TIME OF IMPACT AREA WAS IMC CONDITIONS. THERE WERE 3 PEOPLE ON BOARD, NO SURVIVORS. THE PILOT WAS  CERTIFICATED WITH COMMERCIAL ROTORCRAFT CERTIFICATE HAVING OVER 6000 HOURS. AIRCRAFT RECORDS SHOW THE AIRCRAFT WAS A ROBINSON R-66, SERIAL NUMBER 1000, REGISTRATION NUMBER N888DV AND HAD A CURRENT ANNUAL AND 100 HR. INSPECTION.

ADS-B DATA SHOWS N888DV DEPARTED THOMASVILLE REGIONAL AIRPORT @ APPROX. 1840 HEADED NORTH TOWARD ALBANY GEORGIA, WHEN THE ROTORCRAFT WAS OVER ANDERSONVILLE IT STARTED A LARGE LEFT HAND LOOPING FIGURE EIGHT TOWARD THE NORTHEAST BRINGING IT BACK OVER ANDERSONVILLE MOVING EAST PASSING OVER BYROMVILLE THEN TURNING NORTH TO PERRY AIRPORT, WHERE IT LANDED AT APPROX. 2015.  AT APPROXIMATELY 2020, N888DV TOOK OFF HEADING NORTH, AT APPROX. 2045 N888DV STARTED A RIGHT HAND TURN AND LAST ADS-B DATA SHOWS AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE TERRAIN AT 2045 AND 59 SEC.

THE ROTORCRAFT WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN THE OCONEE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FORREST AT (33°10'35N, 083°46'10W). THE AIRCRAFT CAME IN CONTACT WITH A PINE TREE THEN IMPACTING THE GROUND APPROX. 75 FT. AWAY.  DAMAGE TO THE TREE LIMBS INDICATED THE ROTORCRAFT WAS IN A 90° BANK AT INITIAL IMPACT.  THE ROTORCRAFT STRUCK THE GROUND CREATING A 2FT. DEEP  BY 6FT. WIDE BY 8 FT. LONG CRATER. AND COMING TO REST 48 FT. FROM CRATER.  MAIN ROTOR AND TRANSMISSION WAS SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE AND ENGINE, POST ACCIDENT COCKPIT FIRE AND TREE DAMAGE INDICATED AIRCRAFT HAD FUEL AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.  POST ACCIDENT TEARDOWN REVEALED ENGINE WAS RUNNING AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.

## 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 ERA21FA362](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21FA362), Sep 16, 2021: Robinson Helicopter R66 (N888DV), Monticello, GA, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into deteriorating weather conditions during a dark night and over unlit terrain, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a…

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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