20240207008509A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Planterville, MS · February 7, 2024

Date: February 7, 2024 · 18:51 local
Place: Planterville, MS
Airport: Tupelo Regional Airport
Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: N4054Y
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN24LA112
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 200 total200 in this make and model16 in the last 90 days

N4054YRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 13525 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II

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 privacy data omitted R44 departed Tupelo Regional Airport(ktup)and crashed in a pond located on state park road under unknown circumstances. The aircraft is submerged. (Delayed notification) POB: 1, injuries: none, damage: destroyed

Pilot statement.

1.Pilot " it was extremely dark, and pilot climbed to 1100 MSL. 2.pilot spotted his landing zone lights (lz)

3.Pilot had flown in high to avoid trees.

4.Pilot had made several circles of the lz.

5.Pilot turned south for final decent.

6.Pilot was unable to see the water.

7. Pilot was unable to judge distance to water.

8.Pilot made the discission to return to ktup.

10.Tail rotor had made contact with water.

11.Pilot begin to pull-up and aircraft started to spin uncontrollably.

12.Pilot cut power dumped collective moved cyclic to the right.

13.Pilot kicked out windshield and swam to shore.

Pilot was taken to local hospital for observation and hyperthermia.

As the FAA filed it

AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ R44 DEPARTED TUPELO REGIONAL AIRPORT(KTUP)AND CRASHED IN A POND LOCATED ON STATE PARK ROAD UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES. THE AIRCRAFT IS SUBMERGED. (DELAYED NOTIFICATION) POB: 1, INJURIES: NONE, DAMAGE: DESTROYED

PILOT STATEMENT.

1.PILOT " IT WAS EXTREMELY DARK, AND PILOT CLIMBED TO 1100 MSL. 2.PILOT SPOTTED HIS LANDING ZONE LIGHTS (LZ)

3.PILOT HAD FLOWN IN HIGH TO AVOID TREES.

4.PILOT HAD MADE SEVERAL CIRCLES OF THE LZ.

5.PILOT TURNED SOUTH FOR FINAL DECENT.

6.PILOT WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE WATER.

7. PILOT WAS UNABLE TO JUDGE DISTANCE TO WATER.

8.PILOT MADE THE DISCISSION TO RETURN TO KTUP.

10.TAIL ROTOR HAD MADE CONTACT WITH WATER.

11.PILOT BEGIN TO PULL-UP AND AIRCRAFT STARTED TO SPIN UNCONTROLLABLY.

12.PILOT CUT POWER DUMPED COLLECTIVE MOVED CYCLIC TO THE RIGHT.

13.PILOT KICKED OUT WINDSHIELD AND SWAM TO SHORE.

PILOT WAS TAKEN TO LOCAL HOSPITAL FOR OBSERVATION AND HYPERTHERMIA.

NTSB investigation

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

NTSB CEN24LA112Accident · No injuriesClass 4 · LimitedFinal reportTupelo, MSThe pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from water during a dark night landing.Feb 7, 2024 · Substantial damage