20211230021529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Bronson, FL · December 30, 2021

Date
December 30, 2021 · 20:25 local
Place
Bronson, FL
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N442VB
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA22FA098
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
4
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
332 total105 in this make and model38 in the last 90 days

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.

Aircraft N442VB took off from a private home around 2023. Minutes after departure the aircraft crashed, suffered substantial damage fatally injuring all persons onboard. Witnesses reported the presence of a heavy and dense fog and that it was a very dark night.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT N442VB TOOK OFF FROM A PRIVATE HOME AROUND 2023. MINUTES AFTER DEPARTURE THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED, SUFFERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE FATALLY INJURING ALL PERSONS ONBOARD. WITNESSES REPORTED THE PRESENCE OF A HEAVY AND DENSE FOG AND THAT IT WAS A VERY DARK NIGHT.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.