# NTSB FTW02LA197: Robinson R44, N144WT, Houston, TX, June 28, 2002 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: June 28, 2002, 10:15 local (15:15 UTC) - Place: Houston, TX - Coordinates: 29.770637, -95.680633 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.7706&lon=-95.6806&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report December 30, 2003 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Parties: FAA FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 55106 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=FTW02LA197 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/55106/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55106 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA197 ## Probable cause The pilot's loss of control after encountering dynamic rollover during takeoff. A contributing factor was the pilot's inadequate preflight inspection. ## Sequence of events In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf). - Loss of control - in flight, climb - dynamic rollover - encountered, pilot in command (cause) - aircraft preflight - inadequate, pilot in command (contributing factor) ## Analysis The pilot "lifted" the helicopter vertically to a 4-5 foot hover and proceeded to make a 10 degree left pedal turn. The pilot applied forward pressure on the cyclic to initiate forward flight and in a "matter of 10'-15', the rear portion of the left skid went down abruptly." The pilot immediately added forward right cyclic to compensate for this action. The helicopter started to level at an altitude of approximately 2-3 feet when it settled "hard" on the front portion of the left skid. The helicopter came to rest upright on its landing skids. A broken tie down chain was found that had been attached to the aft portion of the helicopter skid. The pilot reported that he did not attach the tie down chain to the helicopter. ## Factual narrative On June 28, 2002, at 1015 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, N144WT, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the West Houston Airport near Houston, Texas. The helicopter was registered to Wilkinson Rental Tools, Inc., of Lafayette, Louisiana, and operated by the pilot. The private pilot, sole occupant of the helicopter, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight was originating at the time of the accident, and was destined for Mandeville, Louisiana. The pilot reported to an FAA inspector that while attempting to takeoff, he "lifted" the helicopter vertically to a 4-5 foot hover and proceeded to make a 10 degree left pedal turn to a northerly direction. The pilot applied forward pressure on the cyclic to initiate forward flight and in a "matter of 10 to 15 feet, the rear portion of the left skid went down abruptly." The pilot immediately added forward right cyclic to compensate for this action. The helicopter started to level at an altitude of approximately 2-3 feet when it settled "hard" on the front portion of the left skid. The helicopter came to rest upright on its landing skids. According to a witness, he observed the helicopter lift off, make a bank to the left then sharper to its right, and then very sharply to its left. Then it made a 180-degree turn descending sharply and steeply into the ground. A second witness, observed a chain attached to the left skid when the helicopter lifted off. About 3-4 feet off the ground, the helicopter movement was subdued by the chain and began to "sway" violently one direction and then another. The tail boom and left strut hit the ground, but the pilot was able to land the helicopter and shut it down. According to the FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, a broken tie down chain was found that had been attached to the aft portion of the helicopter skid. According to the pilot, he had not placed the tie down there. An examination of the helicopter revealed that the lower portion of the vertical stabilizer was wrinkled with a tear in the leading edge. The left side of the fuselage had damage in the vicinity of the forward skid cross tube. The main rotor mast fairing was buckled directly above the cabin. The 7,800-hour pilot reported that he had accumulated a total of 721 hours in helicopters, all of them in the same make and model as the accident aircraft. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N144WT](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N144WT), registered now, S/N 0601 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Robinson R44 - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R44](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44) (registry code 7640120) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-540 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-540-series) (registry code 41532, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 0601 - Airframe hours: 1335.2 - Engines: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 205 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Merwin H. Wilkinson - Registered owner: Wilkinson Rental Tools, Inc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, March 5, 2002, 86.8 hours before - Departed: IWS, Houston, TX - Destination: Mandeville, LA - Airport: IWS, West Houston ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 58; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; medical: class 3, valid medical--w/ waivers/lim; last flight review May 23, 2001; seat: right; flight hours: 7,800 total, 721 in this make and model, 7,349 as pilot in command ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: calm - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 73 °F - Altimeter: 29.96 inHg - Observed at: SGR ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20020628013599A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20020628013599A), Jun 28, 2002: Robsin R44, Houston, TX, Substantial damage. (.19) On June 28, 2002, at 1015 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, N144WT, was substantially damaged during takeoff from the west Houston… ## Docket (4 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 13, 2003, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=55106. 730 KB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 295 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40448981&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Master.PDF - Maintenance Records 11 - Attachment 1 (item 2, .PDF, 149 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40448982&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maintenance%20Records%2011%20-%20Attachment%201-Master.PDF - More Pilot Statements (item 3, .PDF, 207 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40199742&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=More%20Pilot%20Statements-Master.PDF - Witness Statements (item 4, .PDF, 79 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40448983&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statements-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.