# NTSB CEN13FA517: Robinson R44 II, N3156U, Caballo, NM, August 31, 2013 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report - Date: August 31, 2013, 11:45 local (17:45 UTC) - Place: Caballo, NM - Coordinates: 33.037776, -107.308334 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.0378&lon=-107.3083&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220) - Highest injury: Fatal - Injuries: 3 fatal - Status: Completed, report May 8, 2014 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards District Office - NTSB case key (mKey): 87927 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN13FA517 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/87927/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=87927 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA517 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to see and avoid power lines while maneuvering near the ground because dust stirred up by the rotor wash obscured his visibility. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Object/animal/substance: wire](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Awareness of condition (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44 II, 26 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md?model=7640122), [All aircraft, 588 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022032/cases.md) - [Object/animal/substance: debris/dirt/foreign object](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022055): Environmental issues › Physical environment · Effect on personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44 II, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022055/cases.md?model=7640122), [All aircraft, 101 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03022055/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44 II, 40 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=7640122), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44 II, 45 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md?model=7640122), [All aircraft, 780 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44 II, 95 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7640122), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis Three witnesses saw the helicopter hovering and the rotor wash stirring up dust. One of those witnesses and another witness observed the helicopter turn, start to fly away, collide with two power lines, and subsequently hit the ground and bounce. The dust likely obscured the pilot's visibility while he was maneuvering the helicopter near the ground and led to his failure to see and avoid the power lines. ## Factual narrative N3156U, serial number 11486, a model R44 II Raven, was manufactured by the Robinson Helicopter Company in 2006. It was powered by a Textron-Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 engine (serial number L-31554-48A), rated at 235 shaft horsepower. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who examined the aircraft maintenance records, the last annual inspection was accomplished on July 26, 2013, at a Hobbs meter time of 708.6 hours. At the time of the accident, the Hobbs meter read 728.6 hours. On August 31, 2013, about 1145 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R44 II, N3156U, collided with power lines and crashed next to a residence in Caballo, New Mexico 87931. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to and operated by a private individual under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight, and no flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Truth or Consequences (TCS) Airport, New Mexico, about 1130. According to the operator, the pilot was taking the two passengers on a short sightseeing flight over Elephant Butte Reservoir. They also plan to fly over the home of one of the passengers. Two witnesses who lived across the street saw the helicopter hovering in front of the passenger's home. They said dust was being stirred up by the rotor wash. The helicopter turned and started to fly away but collided with two service power lines. Another witness, who lived next door to the two previous witnesses, saw the helicopter fly underneath and collide with the power lines, severing the tail boom. The helicopter struck the ground and bounced. Another witness saw the helicopter flying "extremely low." He said the helicopter cleared the power lines, circled back, and then the tail boom struck the power lines. The impact pulled two power poles out of the ground and the helicopter hit the ground and bounced. According to FAA's Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) toxicology report, no carbon monoxide, ethanol, or drugs were detected in the pilot's blood. Cyanide tests were not performed. According to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator autopsy report, the pilot's death was attributed to "blunt trauma." The following pertinent weather observations were recorded by the TCS Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS), located about 14 miles north of the accident site: TCS (1053): Variable wind at 3 knots; sky condition, clear; temperature, 20 degrees Celsius (C.); dew point, 13 degrees C; altimeter setting, 30.15 inches of mercury. TCS (1153): Wind, 090 degrees at 5 knots; sky condition, clear; temperature, 30 degrees C.; dew point, 10 degrees C; altimeter setting, 30.13 inches of mercury. The pilot, age 34, held a commercial pilot certificate with rotorcraft-helicopter and instrument-helicopter ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate withrotorcraft-helicopter and instrument-helicopter ratings. His second class airman medical certificate, dated May 1, 2013, contained no restrictions or limitations. According to the operator, the pilot had accrued 1,153 total flight hours, all in rotorcraft-helicopters, of which 1,090 hours were as pilot-in-command and 85.7 hours were flown in a Robinson R44. According to a Sierra Electric Cooperative Power Company spokesman, two single phase lines were struck by the helicopter, and the impact broke two wooden power poles. He described the lines as being No. 4 ACSR (aluminum conduit, steel reinforced) 7/1 power lines that each carried 14,400 volts. He further stated that the power company did not have monitoring devices to detect power interruptions, but they received the first service call at 1209. FAA's Southwest Regional Operations Center received the accident call at 1153. The wreckage was located in a field, south of a private residence, and on the east side of State Route 187 at mile post 31. The helicopter rested on its right side. One main rotor blade remained attached to the hub. The other rotor blade was found in several pieces. The tail boom had been severed from the fuselage, and the tail rotor assembly was separated from the tail boom. The front of the cockpit was open, exposing the instrument panel and seats. Power train and flight control continuity were established. Two broken power poles, one holding a power transformer, lay nearby. Two downed power lines, uncoiled in some places, were also noted. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N3156U](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N3156U-2018-02-13), registration cancelled 2018-02-13, S/N 11486, built 2006 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBINSON R44 II - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R44 II](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (registry code 7640122) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (registry code 41899, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 11486 - Year built: 2006 - Airframe hours: 709 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Kendall S. Livingston - Registered owner: Kendall S. Livingston - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, July 26, 2013, 38 hours before - Departed: KTCC, Truth or Conseq, NM - Destination: KTCC, Truth or Conseq, NM ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 34; injuries: fatal; commercial; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,153 total, 857 in this make and model, 1,090 as pilot in command, 6 in the last 90 days, 4 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 190° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 99 °F, dew point 48 °F - Altimeter: 30.03 inHg - Observed at: KTCC, 12 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20130831016689A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20130831016689A), Aug 31, 2013: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Caballo, NM, Substantial damage, 3 fatal. On August 31, 2013, at 11:45 MST, a Robinson 44II, N3156U, collided with power wires while on a pleasure flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at… ## Docket (15 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 14, 2014, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=87927. 20.4 MB in all. - NTSB Form 6120.1-2, Pilot Operator Aircraft Accident Report (item 1, .PDF, 560 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402065&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=NTSB%20Form%206120.1-2,%20Pilot%20Operator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report-Redacted.PDF - Record of Interviews (item 2, .PDF, 41 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402586&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Interviews-Master.PDF - Record of FAA Interview (item 3, .PDF, 14 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402587&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20FAA%20Interview-Redacted.PDF - Interview Excerpts from the New Nexico State Police Report (item 4, .PDF, 156 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402816&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Interview%20Excerpts%20from%20the%20New%20Nexico%20State%20Police%20Report-Master.PDF - Weather Reports and Records (item 5, .PDF, 49 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402067&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Weather%20Reports%20and%20Records-Master.PDF - Toxicology Report, Ebenezer Priebe (item 6, .PDF, 113 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402068&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Toxicology%20Report,%20Ebenezer%20Priebe-Master.PDF - Wreckage Retention - Release Form (item 7, .PDF, 74 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40408598&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Wreckage%20Retention%20-%20Release%20Form-Redacted.PDF - Photo 1 - View to the southeast at main body of wreckage. (item 8, .PDF, 2.4 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402041&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20View%20to%20the%20southeast%20at%20main%20body%20of%20wreckage.-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - View to the northwest at main body of wreckage. (item 9, .PDF, 2.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402042&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20View%20to%20the%20northwest%20at%20main%20body%20of%20wreckage.-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - View to the north and bottom of fuselage. Helicopter rests on right side of cockpit. (item 10, .PDF, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402043&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20View%20to%20the%20north%20and%20bottom%20of%20fuselage.%20Helicopter%20rests%20on%20right%20side%20of%20cockpit.-Master.PDF - Photo 4 - Left side of helicopter. (item 11, .PDF, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402044&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%204%20-%20Left%20side%20of%20helicopter.-Master.PDF - Photo 5 - Top of fuselage. Note severed main rotor blade. (item 12, .PDF, 2.2 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402045&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%205%20-%20Top%20of%20fuselage.%20Note%20severed%20main%20rotor%20blade.-Master.PDF - Photo 6 - Severed tail rotor assembly. (item 13, .PDF, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402046&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%206%20-%20Severed%20tail%20rotor%20assembly.-Master.PDF - Photo 7 - Downed power pole with transformer and power lines. (item 14, .PDF, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402047&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%207%20-%20Downed%20power%20pole%20with%20transformer%20and%20power%20lines.-Master.PDF - Photo 8 - Second broken power pole. (item 15, .PDF, 2.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40402048&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%208%20-%20Second%20broken%20power%20pole.-Master.PDF 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.