- Date
- July 23, 2006, 14:00 local (19:00 UTC)
- Place
- Wadsworth, IL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N454WTRobinson R-44
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 31, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- West Chicago, IL FSDO
- FAA report
- 20060723022219A
- Case key
- 64267
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 inadvertently pulled back on the cyclic when birds flew into the windscreen. A factor associated with the accident were the birds.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the tail rotor contacted water during landing. The pilot reported that he was landing near a "decorative pond" at a country club when the accident occurred. He said that he flew over the landing area and did not notice any obstructions. He reported that unknown to him at the time, there were ducks along the bank of the pond. The ducks flew up into the windscreen at which time he pulled back on the cyclic and the tail rotor contacted the water. The pilot reported that he then entered an autorotation, touching down on the bank of the pond.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported the tail rotor contacted water during landing. The pilot reported he was landing near a "decorative pond" at a country club when the accident occurred. The pilot reported he flew over the landing area and did not notice any obstructions. He reported that unknown to him at the time, there were ducks along the bank of the pond. The pilot reported the ducks flew up into the windscreen at which time he pulled back on the cyclic and the tail rotor contacted the water. The pilot reported he then entered an autorotation, touching down on the bank of the pond.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N454WT
- Reported as
- Robinson R-44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 1042
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Leonard D. Khayat
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- ENW · Kenosha, WI
- Destination
- Wadsworth, IL
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 110 total · 74 in this make and model · 18 as pilot in command · 53 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.