- Date
- August 30, 2022, 15:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Beardsley, MN
- Injuries
- 4 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7048CRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration, Fargo FSDO
- FAA report
- 20220830015629A
- Case key
- 105846
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 aircraft control during the approach to land that resulted in an excessive descent rate and 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
The pilot of the air tour flight reported that he was performing a pedal turn to put the nose of the helicopter into the wind for landing when he overshot the turn with the tail. The pilot tried to correct by performing another rotation, but the low rotor rpm light illuminated, and the low rpm horn sounded. The pilot attempted to lower the collective to regain forward airspeed, but the helicopter landed hard on the skids, bounced, and rolled over onto its left side. A witness reported that the helicopter approached from the north and entered a spiral descent before “it went down” from an altitude of about 80-100 ft. above ground level. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor blades, and tail rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal helicopter operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7048C
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0531
- Built
- 1998
- Airframe hours
- 3,474.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-F1B5, 250 hp, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- MN Helicopters Inc
- Registered owner
- MN Helicopters Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 15, 2022
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- 41
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 22, 2022
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 792 total · 504 in this make and model · 648 as pilot in command · 105 in the last 90 days · 26 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 349° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 82 °F, dew point 46 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- AQP, 37 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 26, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.8 MB 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.