- Date
- April 23, 2009, 11:00 local (16:00 UTC)
- Place
- Kent, TX
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N518SJRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Settling with power/vortex ring state
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report July 14, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 73751
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The helicopter pilot and three passengers were circling over rural terrain at an altitude of 150 feet above ground level and approximately 219 pounds overweight for the flight conditions when the pilot slowed to 10 knots with a tailwind. The helicopter began to lose main rotor rpm and the low-rotor aural warning sounded. The pilot lowered the collective in an attempt to maintain rotor rpm, but there was insufficient altitude to recover. The helicopter hit the ground with the tail rotor first and the body of the helicopter landed hard and skidded forward, crushing the left skid. The main rotors flexed downward during impact and severed the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical deficiencies, and that the accident would likely not have happened if he had turned into a headwind.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot and three passengers were circling over rural terrain at an altitude of 150 feet above ground level and approximately 219 pounds overweight for the flight conditions when the pilot slowed to 10 knots with a tailwind. The helicopter began to lose main rotor rpm and the low-rotor aural warning sounded. The pilot lowered the collective in an attempt to maintain rotor rpm, but there was insufficient altitude to recover. The helicopter hit the ground with the tail rotor first and the body of the helicopter landed hard and skidded forward, crushing the left skid. The main rotors flexed downward during impact and severed the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical deficiencies, and that the accident would likely not have happened if he had turned into a headwind.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N518SJ
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 11466
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Jobeco Materials LLC
- Registered owner
- Jobeco Materials LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- None · Kent, TX
- Destination
- None · Kent, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- None · None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 54
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Flight hours
- 6,700 total · 1,800 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 12, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 650 KB in all.