- Date
- February 6, 2024, 19:15 local (Feb 7, 2024, 01:15 UTC)
- Place
- Tupelo, MS
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N4054YRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Landing: Tailstrike
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA - Jackson FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240207008509A
- Case key
- 193774
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 clearance from water during a dark night 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 while attempting to land at his private helipad near a lake at night, he was unable to determine his height above the water. As he prepared to return to the departure airport, the tail rotor contacted the water. The pilot attempted to climb, but the helicopter began an un-commanded yaw to the right. The pilot reduced power and lowered the collective. The helicopter subsequently impacted the water and sustained substantial damage to the main rotor, tail boom, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4054Y
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 13525
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 130
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Maloney Leasing LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2023
- Departed
- TUP · Tupelo, MS
- Destination
- Tupelo, MS
- Equipment
- Video recording device, Handheld GPS, Electronic multifunction display, 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
- 60
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,850 total · 200 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 10° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KTUP, 7 nm away
- METAR
- KTUP 070253Z 01006KT 10SM CLR 08/01 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP200 T00780011 51013 $
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.6 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.