- Date
- May 25, 2009, 11:47 local (15:47 UTC)
- Place
- Meredith, NH
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N47GTRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Landing-flare/touchdown: Dynamic rollover
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report September 30, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- Case key
- 74018
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 during landing.
Findings · 2
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 stated that with three passengers, he departed from a dock on his property to conduct a local flight. After 1 hour, he returned to the same dock for landing. The approach was normal, but when the pilot came to a 2- to 3-foot hover above the dock the helicopter “dropped violently onto its skids.” The helicopter then began sliding backward with the tail down towards the water. He applied power in an attempt to bring the helicopter to a hover, but it rolled onto its left side and slid rearward into the water. The rotor, airframe, transmission, engine, and avionics incurred damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical abnormalities present with the helicopter prior to the flight, or the accident sequence.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that with three passengers, he departed from a dock on his property to conduct a local flight. After 1 hour, he returned to the same dock for landing. The approach was normal, but when the pilot came to a 2- to 3-foot hover above the dock the helicopter “dropped violently onto its skids.” The helicopter then began sliding backward with the tail down towards the water. He applied power in an attempt to bring the helicopter to a hover, but then it rolled onto its left side and slid rearward into the water. The rotor, airframe, transmission, engine, and avionics incurred damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical abnormalities present with the helicopter prior to the flight, and did not report after the accident experiencing any prior to the initiation of the accident sequence.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N47GT
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10853
- Airframe hours
- 439
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-F1B5, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Glenn L. Tonnesen
- Registered owner
- Tonnesen Aviation LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 21, 2009 · 3 hours before
- Departed
- Meredith, NH
- Destination
- Meredith, NH
- Airport
- KLCI · Laconia Municipal Airport
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
- 61
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 10, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 312 total · 93 in this make and model · 221 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 7 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 300° at 13 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- KLCI, 6 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 17, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 416 KB in all.