- Date
- November 12, 2016, 11:00 local (17:00 UTC)
- Place
- Stone Lake, WI
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Takeoff
- Aircraft
- N744JSRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Takeoff: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 15, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20161112022469A
- Case key
- 94388
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 lateral control while in a hover and the helicopter’s subsequent impact with a tree.
Findings · 3
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 helicopter pilot reported that, during a hover taxi for takeoff, about 3 ft above the ground, he thought that he saw a person at the corner of his driveway. He added that he stopped and that the helicopter drifted to the left. Subsequently, the main rotor blade impacted a tree, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that during a hover taxi for takeoff, about three ft above the ground, he thought that he saw a person at the corner of his drive way. He added that he stopped and the helicopter drifted to the left. Subsequently the main rotor blade impacted a tree, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N744JS
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 13086
- Built
- 2011
- Airframe hours
- 280
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- S. M. Hentges & Sons Inc.
- Registered owner
- S. M. Hentges & Sons Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 20, 2016
- Departed
- Stone Lake, WI
- Destination
- Stone Lake, WI
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Electronic flight bag or handheld device
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
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 10, 2016
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.20 inHg
- Observed at
- KHYR, 17 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 5, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 2.2 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.
Other investigations on N744JS · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.