- Date
- November 29, 2017, 16:30 local (22:30 UTC)
- Place
- New Orleans, LA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N744WTRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Landing: Miscellaneous/other
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 21, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171129022179A
- Case key
- 96409
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 land the helicopter with both skids on the trailer platform, which resulted in a loss of control.
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, while positioning the helicopter on a trailer for maintenance, the helicopter landed on the trailer with the left skid off the platform, and the tail rotor struck the ground. The pilot added that the helicopter climbed about 50 ft, and he reduced power. During the descent, the main rotor blade struck the tailboom, and the helicopter impacted the pavement. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tailboom, and main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that, while positioning the helicopter on a trailer for maintenance, the helicopter landed on the trailer with the left skid off the platform and the tail rotor struck the ground. The pilot added that the helicopter climbed about 50 ft. and he reduced power. During the descent, the main rotor blade struck the tail boom and the helicopter impacted the pavement. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tail boom, and main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N744WT
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 11489
- Built
- 2006
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- NEW · New Orleans, LA
- Destination
- NEW · New Orleans, LA
- Airport
- NEW · Lakefront
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 4, 2015
- Seat
- Front
- Flight hours
- 4,670 total · 3,200 in this make and model · 4,445 as pilot in command · 120 in the last 90 days · 43 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.12 inHg
- Observed at
- KNEW, 1 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 25, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.0 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.