# Incident 20240317002469I: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, South Lake Taho, CA, March 17, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 17, 2024, 10:00 local time
- Place: South Lake Taho, CA
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: Q1KJ
- Location: 38.9282° N, 119.9810° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of South Lake Tahoe, CA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9282&lon=-119.9810&mi=10
- Aircraft: N992TC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N992TC) (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: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 981 total, 591 in this make and model, 64 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240317002469I

## Narrative

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

ON MARCH 17, 2023, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ A ROBINSON R44 HELICOPTER WAS ON A SIGHTSEEING FLIGHT NEAR SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CA. AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 9000-9500 FT MSL. DURING THE FLIGHT THE PILOT NOTICED A FLUCTUATION OF THE ENGINE AND ROTOR RPM INDICATING A POSSIBLE GOVERNOR FAILURE.  THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE RMP WITH RAISING THE COLLECTIVE AND REDUCING THE THROTTLE. BY DOING SO THE ENGINE INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN. THE PILOT IMITATED AN AUTOROTATION AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY WITHOUT CAUSING DAMAGE.   THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES.

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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