# Accident 20240818014129A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Palmer, AK, August 18, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 18, 2024, 12:48 local time
- Place: Palmer, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: 4ZDA
- Location: 61.3550° N, 148.2167° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.3550&lon=-148.2167&mi=10
- Aircraft: N783AK, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N783AK-2024-11-30) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (registry code 41899, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- People aboard: 4
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,416 total, 964 in this make and model, 71 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC24LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA079) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240818014129A

## Narrative

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

ON AUGUST 18TH, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1230, A HELICOPTER WITH 3 PASSENGERS AND A PILOT DEPARTED ITS BASE OF OPERATIONS ON A GLACIER TOUR. THE PASSENGERS STATED THAT THE FLIGHT TO THEIR FIRST POINT ON INTENDED LANDING WAS BUMPY. AS THE AIRCRAFT APPROACHED THE RIDGE LINE THAT THE PILOT INTENDED TO LAND ON, HE SLOWED THE AIRCRAFT AND BEGAN HIS APPROACH. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD HIGH GROUND TO THE RIGHT AND LOW GROUND TO THE LEFT. THE LOW GROUND TO THE LEFT WAS HIS ESCAPE ROUTE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN TO THE LOCATION MANY TIMES BEFORE BUT THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME FOR THAT DAY. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HAD A HEADWIND OF APPROXIMATELY 20-25 KNOTS ON THE INITIAL PORTION OF THE APPROACH.  THE PILOT STATED THAT AS HE TRANSITIONS THROUGH ETL AND BEGAN TO ENTER THE LANDING PHASE OF THE APPROACH HE EXPERIENCED A DOWN DRAFT. IN RESPONSE TO THE DOWNDRAFT THE PILOT INCREASED COLLECTIVE. THE INCREASE IN COLLECTIVE CAUSED THE FULL THROTTLE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE. IN RESPONSE TO THE FULL THROTTLE LIGHT THE PILOT REDUCED COLLECTIVE AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRCRAFT SETTLED BACK INTO A NORMAL APPROACH PROFILE, SO THE PILOT CHOSE TO CONTINUE THE APPROACH. AT APPROXIMATELY 10-15 FEET THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED ANOTHER DOWN DRAFT. AT THIS ALTITUDE THE ESCAPE ROUTE WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE INCREASED COLLECTIVE AND INPUT FORWARD CYCLIC IN AN ATTEMPT TO DO A GO-AROUND HOWEVER, THE AIRCRAFT CONTINUED TO SETTLE AND DESCEND DOWNHILL. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FLY AWAY, HE IDENTIFIED AN EMERGENCY LANDING AREA APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET TO THE FRONT AND ADJUSTED THE FLIGHT CONTROLS TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. UPON GROUND CONTACT THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A 90-DEGREE RIGHT YAW, THE SKIDS SPREAD, AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED TO THE LEFT COMING TO REST ON IT’S LEFT SIDE IN A SMALL POND AT THE EMERGENCY LANDING SITE. ONCE THE AIRCRAFT HAD COME TO REST THE PILOT AND PASSENGERS EXITED THE AIRCRAFT. THEY WERE SUBSEQUENTLY PICKED UP BY ANOTHER AIRCRAFT FROM THE SAME OPERATOR AND TRANSPORTED BACK TO BASE.

## 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 ANC24LA079](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA079), Aug 18, 2024: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N783AK), Palmer, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot's failure to follow the operator’s procedure manual and attempted to land at a remote landing zone in high wind conditions. Contributing factor was the pilot’s decision to not conduct a fly…

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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