- Date
- January 21, 2024, 12:30 local (18:30 UTC)
- Place
- Kenosha, WI · on tarmac adjacent to a hangar
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N8350MRobinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Defining event
- Landing-aborted after touchdown: Abrupt maneuver
- 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
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20240121003699A
- Case key
- 193692
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 control of the helicopter while landing.
Findings · 4
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 reported that he was not satisfied with the helicopter’s alignment on the mobile helipad during landing and elected to complete a second attempt. During the second landing, he lost control of the helicopter as it settled onto the helipad. The helicopter ascended, rolled to the right, and then impacted the ground on its skids which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor blades, and tailrotor blades. There were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8350M
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 2665
- Built
- 1997
- Airframe hours
- 5,998.28
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-J2A, 131 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Vortex Leasing LLC
- Registered owner
- Vortex Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 26, 2023
- Departed
- WI85 · Janesville, WI
- Destination
- Same as departure
- Airport
- ENW · Kenosha Regional Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B
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
- 51
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 6, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,448 total · 162 in this make and model · 1,396 as pilot in command · 12 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 19 °F, dew point 3 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.47 inHg
- Observed at
- KENW
- METAR
- KENW 211853Z 22012G22KT 10SM CLR M07/M16 A3047 RMK AO2 SLP335 T10721161
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 22, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.