- Date
- June 26, 2005, 12:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Indianola, UT
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N373DMRobinson R44 II
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 27, 2005
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20050626011369A
- Case key
- 61812
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 adequate rotor rpm which resulted in a loss of control and a hard landing.
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 was attempting to land the helicopter in a sage brush meadow at an elevation of 6,100 feet msl. While in effective translational lift at 12 to 17 feet agl, the helicopter lost rotor RPM, and the pilot applied throttle in an attempt to increase rotor RPM. Subsequently, the helicopter entered an uncontrolled descent from approximately 10 feet agl, landed hard, and rolled over. One main rotor blade was separated, and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On June 26, 2005, approximately 1200 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R44 II single-engine helicopter, N373DM, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain following a loss of control while landing near Indianola, Utah. The private pilot and three passengers were not injured. The helicopter was registered to Fly, LLC, Panaca, Nevada, and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed the Spanish Fork-Springville Airport (U77), Spanish Fork, Utah, approximately 0900.
According to the Pilot Aircraft Accident Report (NTSB Form 6120.1/2), the pilot reported he was attempting to land in a sage brush meadow at an elevation of 6,100 feet msl. While in effective translational lift at 12 to 17 feet agl, the helicopter lost rotor RPM, and the pilot applied throttle in an attempt to increase rotor RPM. Subsequently, the helicopter entered an uncontrolled descent from approximately 10 feet agl, landed hard, and rolled over. One main rotor blade was separated, and the fuselage sustained substantial damage.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N373DM
- Reported as
- Robinson R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10373
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Fly LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- U77 · Spanish Fork, UT
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
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3
- Flight hours
- 143 total · 1 in this make and model · 58 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days
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.