# Accident 20230306001419A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Port O'Conner, TX, March 6, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 6, 2023, 21:57 local time
- Place: Port O'Conner, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.4151° N, 96.4801° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.4151&lon=-96.4801&mi=10
- Aircraft: N494SH, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N494SH) (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
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 2
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN23FA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA125) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20230306001419A

## Narrative

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

ON MARCH 6TH, 2023 AT APPROX. 10:00PM CST, AN R-44-II ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, LANDED HARD WITH RESULTING FIRE AND BREAKUP ON WHAT WAS BELIEVED TO BE A PERSONAL FLIGHT. PIC DEPARTED HIS RESIDENCE WITH A PASSENGER ON BOARD IN WX BELOW VFR MINIMUMS AND AT NIGHT. FORECASTED WX WAS IFR. LOCAL METAR FOR THAT AREA READ; FOG WITH CEILINGS BETWEEN 200-500’ BLOWING. NO KNOWN FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED.

PIC INITIATED A NORTHWEST DEPARTURE AND THEN MADE AN ABRUPT 270 DEGREE TURN TO THE LEFT AND STARTED AN EASTWARD CLIMB. PILOT PROCEEDED TO CLIMB SLOWLY TO APPROX. 400 FEET AT AN APPROX. DISTANCE OF 200 YARDS AND THEN BEGAN A QUICK DECENT TO APPROX. 50 FEET WHILE TURNING BACK TO THE RIGHT WHERE HE EVENTUALLY IMPACTED THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED.

THE CABIN STRUCTURE AND COMPONENTS WERE MOSTLY CONSUMED BY FIRE. THE INSTRUMENT CONSOLE, INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENTS, ONE SEAT CUSHION ALONG WITH SOME PERSONAL ITEMS WERE RECOVERED IN THE DEBRIS FIELD. ALL FOUR SEAT BELT BUCKLES REMAINED IN THEIR LATCHES. THE REMOVABLE COLLECTIVE AND CYCLIC CONTROLS WERE NOT INSTALLED. THE REMOVABLE PEDALS WERE INSTALLED. BOTH PILOT AND PASSENGER RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES AND SUBSEQUENTLY CONSUMED BY FIRE.

THE PIC HELD A PVT PILOT HEL CERTIFICATE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH NO INSTRUMENT RATING. ALSO HELD A BASIC MED DATED 02-23-2023.

THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT (RESIDENCE) PORT O’CONNOR, TX AND ENDED FLIGHT APPROX. 250-300 YARDS FROM AWAY LIFT OFF LOCATION.

## 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 CEN23FA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA125), Mar 7, 2023: Robinson Helicopter R44 (N494SH), Port O'Connor, TX, destroyed, 2 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot’s initiation of the visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of helicopter control. Contributing to the…

## Other reports on N494SH (1)

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

- [Accident 20140214001559A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20140214001559A), Feb 14, 2014: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (N494SH), Ivanhoe, TX, Substantial damage. After approximately 40 minutes of flight time and with the helicopter positioned upwind, the pilot began flying crosswind over a tree line while descending to…

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.