- Date
- February 1, 2024, 18:34 local (23:34 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N521LSRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Landing: Collision during takeoff/land
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240201001919A
- Case key
- 193827
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
Tail rotor contact with an unseen object while performing a precautionary landing to a closed helipad at night.
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
During an air tour flight at night, the pilot of the helicopter noted that the oil pressure and temperature gauges were displaying indications that were in the “red area” so he decided to perform a precautionary landing to a closed helipad. During the precautionary landing, while maneuvering the helicopter just prior to touchdown, the tail rotor contacted a plastic pipe that protruded up about 2 ft from the ground. The pilot further described that it was very dark and that he was unable to see the pipe. Following the tail rotor strike, the helicopter landed hard, deforming the landing skids. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer during the accident.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N521LS
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 13907
- Built
- 2015
- Airframe hours
- 2,159.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work use · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Global Aerials Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 8, 2023
- Departed
- HWO · Pembroke Pines, FL
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display
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
- 54
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 5, 2023
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 520 total · 300 in this make and model · 400 as pilot in command · 90 in the last 90 days · 33 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 320° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.07 inHg
- Observed at
- KMIA, 8 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KMIA 020053Z 32003KT 10SM FEW055 SCT250 20/12 A3007 RMK AO2 SLP183 T02000122
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 12, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.4 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.