- Date
- July 4, 2010, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Austin, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N74546Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 21, 2010
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20100704041999A
- Case key
- 76524
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 directional control of the helicopter, resulting in impact with trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to ensure the door was properly secured prior to flight.
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 had just departed a private heli-pad when the pilot's door opened. The pilot stated he became distracted trying to close the door and hit some trees and had a hard landing. Examination of the helicopter showed some of the main rotor blades were bent and separated, and the fuselage was bent. The pilot stated there was nothing wrong with the helicopter prior to impact.
Factual narrative
The helicopter had just departed a private heli-pad when the pilot's door opened. The pilot stated he became distracted trying to close the door and hit some trees and had a hard landing. Examination of the helicopter showed some of the main rotor blades were bent and separated, and the fuselage was bent. The pilot stated there was nothing wrong with the helicopter prior to impact.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N74546
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 11095
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- N/A · Austin, TX
- Destination
- LagoVista, TX
- Flight plan
- Unknown
- Airport
- N/A · Private Helipad
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2
- Flight hours
- 2,500 total · 1,150 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 2, 2010, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 521 KB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.