- Date
- February 4, 2006, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- Rayville, LA
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N744MDRobinson R44
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 30, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- BATON ROUGE
- FAA report
- 20060204002559A
- Case key
- 63199
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 rotor RPM, which resulted in 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 673-hour private pilot, who reported having accumulated 120 hours in the same make and model helicopter reported that while departing on his third flight of the day, into the wind, when approximately 40-feet above ground level (AGL) the helicopter suddenly "veered" to the right. As the pilot responded by applying full left anti-torque pedal, the low rotor RPM warning horn sounded. The pilot then lowered the collective control and applied aft cyclic control. With the helicopter quickly settling, the pilot pulled-up on the collective control; however, he was not able to arrest the high rate of descent. The helicopter landed hard and managed to remain in the upright position. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, the temperature was 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the winds were from 300 degrees at 10 knots.
Factual narrative
The 673-hour private pilot, who reported having accumulated 120-hours in the same make and model helicopter reported that while departing on his third flight of the day, into the wind, when approximately 40-feet above ground level (AGL) the helicopter suddenly "veered" to the right. As the pilot responded by applying full left anti-torque pedal, the low rotor RPM warning horn sounded. The pilot then lowered the collective control and applied aft cyclic control. With the helicopter quickly settling, the pilot pulled-up on the collective control; however, he was not able to arrest the high rate of descent. The helicopter landed hard and managed to remain in the upright position. The pilot and two passengers were uninjured. The pilot reported that at the time of the accident, the temperature was 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the winds were from 300 degrees at 10 knots.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N744MD
- Reported as
- Robinson R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0259
- Airframe hours
- 1,230.7
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-FIB5, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 1, 2006 · 5 hours before
- Departed
- Rayville, LA
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
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 1, 2005
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 673 total · 120 in this make and model · 673 as pilot in command · 33 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- MLU, 6 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N744MD · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.