- Date
- October 21, 2012, 13:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Loop, TX
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N7507KRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 22, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20121021023689A
- Case key
- 85394
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 inadequate performance calculations, which resulted in an overweight takeoff for the conditions and the subsequent hard impact with terrain.
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
Before the accident flight, the pilot asked for the weights of passengers, fueled the helicopter accordingly, and then flew to pick up the passengers. However, when the pilot arrived to pick up the passengers, they appeared to be heavier than the weights he had used for them in his preflight planning. The pilot reported that he was able to lift off and bring the helicopter to a hover, so the helicopter seemed to have sufficient power for takeoff. However, as the helicopter flew forward over a thicket, the main rotor rpm began to decrease. The pilot lowered the nose to increase rpm. The rpm did not increase, and the helicopter impacted terrain hard and sustained substantial damage when its tailboom separated. The pilot estimated that the helicopter’s weight at the time of the accident was inside the envelope for in-ground-effect operations, but was outside the envelope for out-of-ground-effect operations. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter during the flight. The pilot stated that he should have requested that one person remain on the ground until more fuel was burned off.
Factual narrative
The pilot asked the weights of passengers, fueled the helicopter in reference to the passengers, and then flew to a location to pick up passengers. The passengers were heavier than expected. The pilot reported that he brought the helicopter to a hover and the helicopter seemed to have sufficient power for takeoff. As the helicopter flew forward over a thicket, the main rotor rpm began to decrease. The pilot lowered the nose to increase rpm. The rpm did not increase and the helicopter impacted terrain hard where it sustained substantial damage when its tailboom separated. The pilot estimated that the helicopter weight at the time of the accident was inside the envelope for in-ground effect operations and was outside the envelope for out-of-ground effect operations. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter during the flight. His safety recommendation was that he should have requested one person to stay until more fuel was burned off.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7507K
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1255
- Airframe hours
- 1,514.5
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-F185, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial observation · Part 91
- Operator
- Lange Helicopters Inc.
- Registered owner
- Lange Helicopters Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 31, 2012
- Departed
- Loop, TX
- Destination
- Loop, TX
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
- 69
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 4, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 26,693 total · 123 in this make and model · 137 in the last 90 days · 47 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 10 knots, gusting 14
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- HOB
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 26, 2012, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 424 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.