- Date
- January 2, 2013, 17:45 local (23:45 UTC)
- Place
- Menard, TX
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N744RMRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report April 3, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards District Office
- FAA report
- 20130102000149A
- Case key
- 85955
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 helicopter landed hard during a forced landing.
Findings · 3
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
As the helicopter was flying west in the direction of the sun and at 250 feet above ground level, the pilot heard a loud "bang" and observed a black object go by the left side of the helicopter. The object struck the passenger-side windshield. The pilot performed a forced landing to a highway. During the forced landing, both landing skids separated and the helicopter slid to a stop. The lower fuselage was buckled and wrinkled in several locations. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The helicopter was flying to the west, into the sun, at 250 feet above ground level. The pilot heard a loud "bang" and observed a black object go by the left side of his helicopter. The passenger side windshield was struck by the object. The pilot performed a forced landing to the highway. During the forced landing, both landing skids separated and the helicopter slid to a stop. The lower fuselage was buckled and wrinkled in several locations. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N744RM
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 11322
- Airframe hours
- 1,193.6
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · December 4, 2012
- Departed
- Menard, TX
- Destination
- Menard, 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
- 58
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 18, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 6,015 total · 121 in this make and model · 6,015 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 7° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 8 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 23 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.21 inHg
- Observed at
- KJCT, 25 nm away
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 12, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 496 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.