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20220122000269I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Pembroke Pines, FL · January 22, 2022

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
January 22, 2022 · 13:00 local
Place
Pembroke Pines, FL
Airport
North Perry
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator
91HJ
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N247LP
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
820 total
N247LPRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 13205 · Built 2011Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 IIEngine modelLycoming IO-540-AE1A5Reciprocating

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.

privacy data omitted Iic-inspectors statement ? Incident investigation

Atqa no.: ASO1922023

Registration: N247LP

Ptrs: SO19

Make: Robinson

Model: R-44

Serial number: 13205

When: januay 22, 2022 1800 zulu

Where: Robinson R44, registration N247LP with one pilot and 2 passengers on board conducting a commercial air our northbound on the shore enroute to khwo North Perry Airport. N247LP struck an object initially thought to be a bird or a drone while in cruise along miami beach at approximately 300 feet. N247LP landed at North Perry Airport without incident and notified the FAA.

What: part 91 commercial airtour operation operated a Robinson R44, registration N247LP. Helicopter was operating VFR conducting commercial airtour operations.

Pilot - current and qualified

Medical certificate second class:current

Examination of the helicopter:

Helicopter N247LP had landed on the company dolly at hwo. There was minor damage to the helicopter fuselage below the windscreen. Substantial damage was ruled out in coordination with the NTSB. Aerospace engineers examined photos taken from the helicopter fuselage damage and determined the following:

?There is damage to the fiberglass skin, a support angle, and the floor below the right windshield from impact with an unknown object. None of these items are considered primary structure. The damage would not adversely affect the structural strength, performance, or flight characteristics. Therefore, this is not considered substantial damage.?

Miscellaneous:

On Saturday 1/22/2022, I received a call from the pilot who was PIC of N247LP, that struck an object while at altitude. The pilot of the R44 did not sustain any injuries, nor did the 2 passengers. Subsequent inspection of the aircraft did not appear to reflect and ?strange,? Blood, or feathers, typical at times for a bird strike. The pilot indicated that it might have been a drone.

Air traffic data was obtained for the flight regarding N247LP. Flight path data appeared to indicate a commercial air tour. No drone information in the form of a drone, operator, or any information was able to be correlated to the event. This incident is being closed with no further action because neither the UAS, nor the UAS operator were identified and there is insufficient evidence to pursue further investigation.

As the FAA filed it

^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IIC-INSPECTORS STATEMENT ? INCIDENT INVESTIGATION

ATQA NO.: ASO1922023

REGISTRATION: N247LP

PTRS: SO19

MAKE: ROBINSON

MODEL: R-44

SERIAL NUMBER: 13205

WHEN: JANUAY 22, 2022 1800 ZULU

WHERE: ROBINSON R44, REGISTRATION N247LP WITH ONE PILOT AND 2 PASSENGERS ON BOARD CONDUCTING A COMMERCIAL AIR OUR NORTHBOUND ON THE SHORE ENROUTE TO KHWO NORTH PERRY AIRPORT. N247LP STRUCK AN OBJECT INITIALLY THOUGHT TO BE A BIRD OR A DRONE WHILE IN CRUISE ALONG MIAMI BEACH AT APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET. N247LP LANDED AT NORTH PERRY AIRPORT WITHOUT INCIDENT AND NOTIFIED THE FAA.

WHAT: PART 91 COMMERCIAL AIRTOUR OPERATION OPERATED A ROBINSON R44, REGISTRATION N247LP. HELICOPTER WAS OPERATING VFR CONDUCTING COMMERCIAL AIRTOUR OPERATIONS.

PILOT - CURRENT AND QUALIFIED

MEDICAL CERTIFICATE SECOND CLASS:CURRENT

EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER:

HELICOPTER N247LP HAD LANDED ON THE COMPANY DOLLY AT HWO. THERE WAS MINOR DAMAGE TO THE HELICOPTER FUSELAGE BELOW THE WINDSCREEN. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WAS RULED OUT IN COORDINATION WITH THE NTSB. AEROSPACE ENGINEERS EXAMINED PHOTOS TAKEN FROM THE HELICOPTER FUSELAGE DAMAGE AND DETERMINED THE FOLLOWING:

?THERE IS DAMAGE TO THE FIBERGLASS SKIN, A SUPPORT ANGLE, AND THE FLOOR BELOW THE RIGHT WINDSHIELD FROM IMPACT WITH AN UNKNOWN OBJECT. NONE OF THESE ITEMS ARE CONSIDERED PRIMARY STRUCTURE. THE DAMAGE WOULD NOT ADVERSELY AFFECT THE STRUCTURAL STRENGTH, PERFORMANCE, OR FLIGHT CHARACTERISTICS. THEREFORE, THIS IS NOT CONSIDERED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.?

MISCELLANEOUS:

ON SATURDAY 1/22/2022, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE PILOT WHO WAS PIC OF N247LP, THAT STRUCK AN OBJECT WHILE AT ALTITUDE. THE PILOT OF THE R44 DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES, NOR DID THE 2 PASSENGERS. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT APPEAR TO REFLECT AND ?STRANGE,? BLOOD, OR FEATHERS, TYPICAL AT TIMES FOR A BIRD STRIKE. THE PILOT INDICATED THAT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DRONE.

AIR TRAFFIC DATA WAS OBTAINED FOR THE FLIGHT REGARDING N247LP. FLIGHT PATH DATA APPEARED TO INDICATE A COMMERCIAL AIR TOUR. NO DRONE INFORMATION IN THE FORM OF A DRONE, OPERATOR, OR ANY INFORMATION WAS ABLE TO BE CORRELATED TO THE EVENT. THIS INCIDENT IS BEING CLOSED WITH NO FURTHER ACTION BECAUSE NEITHER THE UAS, NOR THE UAS OPERATOR WERE IDENTIFIED AND THERE IS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO PURSUE FURTHER INVESTIGATION.