20240602009529A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Gilbertsville, KY · June 2, 2024

Date
June 2, 2024 · 14:00 local
Place
Gilbertsville, KY
Airport
Kentucky Dam State Park
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N220SW
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA24LA236
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
14,000 total500 in this make and model5 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.

According to the pilot's statement, he departed from his home in carmi, IL and flew to his lake house on Kentucky lake initially landed aircraft without incident. He stated he approached off the lake on a northeast heading toward the landing pad which was located in the backyard of the lake house. He decided to better position the aircraft to a flatter area, raised the collected to take the weight off the helicopter. Helicopter began to slide backwards at which time the pilot indicated the aft end of the right tube dug into the ground causing dynamic roll over conditions. The tail rotor struck the ground then causing the helicopter to roll left impacting the main rotors in the ground. Helicopter came to rest upside down. Pilot was removed from aircraft by a friend already on the ground and was taken to the hospital for evaluation and released within 24 hours. Pilot stated maintenance and weather were not a factor in flight or during landing. There was no post impact fire or damage to property.

As the FAA filed it

ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE DEPARTED FROM HIS HOME IN CARMI, IL AND FLEW TO HIS LAKE HOUSE ON KENTUCKY LAKE INITIALLY LANDED AIRCRAFT WITHOUT INCIDENT. HE STATED HE APPROACHED OFF THE LAKE ON A NORTHEAST HEADING TOWARD THE LANDING PAD WHICH WAS LOCATED IN THE BACKYARD OF THE LAKE HOUSE. HE DECIDED TO BETTER POSITION THE AIRCRAFT TO A FLATTER AREA, RAISED THE COLLECTED TO TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF THE HELICOPTER. HELICOPTER BEGAN TO SLIDE BACKWARDS AT WHICH TIME THE PILOT INDICATED THE AFT END OF THE RIGHT TUBE DUG INTO THE GROUND CAUSING DYNAMIC ROLL OVER CONDITIONS. THE TAIL ROTOR STRUCK THE GROUND THEN CAUSING THE HELICOPTER TO ROLL LEFT IMPACTING THE MAIN ROTORS IN THE GROUND. HELICOPTER CAME TO REST UPSIDE DOWN. PILOT WAS REMOVED FROM AIRCRAFT BY A FRIEND ALREADY ON THE GROUND AND WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR EVALUATION AND RELEASED WITHIN 24 HOURS. PILOT STATED MAINTENANCE AND WEATHER WERE NOT A FACTOR IN FLIGHT OR DURING LANDING. THERE WAS NO POST IMPACT FIRE OR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY.

NTSB investigation

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

Other reports on N220SW · 1

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