- Date
- February 24, 2018, 05:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Woodland, CA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N630MLRobinson Helicopter R44
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Status
- Completed · report August 27, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20180224005179A
- Case key
- 96788
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 distraction due to her malfunctioning iPad, which led to her inadvertent forward cyclic application.
Findings · 5
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 an early morning flight, the visibility was good, but it was still dark. The helicopter pilot reported that the helicopter climbed to about 300 ft above ground level and she noticed that her iPad was not showing her location. While attempting to fix the iPad, she inadvertently pushed the cyclic forward. She reported that when she re-focused her attention outside the helicopter, impact was imminent, and the helicopter impacted trees. The helicopter came to rest on its left side facing the opposite direction of travel. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the both rotor systems. The pilot reported in the recommendation section of the National Transportation Board pilot aircraft accident report that the accident could have been prevented by not allowing herself to become distracted during flight. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that during and early morning flight, the visibility was good, but it was still dark. The helicopter pilot reported that the helicopter climbed to about 300ft above ground level and she noticed that her iPad was not showing her location. While attempting to fix the iPad, she inadvertently pushed the cyclic forward. She reported that when she re-focused her attention outside the helicopter, impact was imminent, and the helicopter impacted trees. The helicopter came to rest on its left side facing the opposite direction of travel. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the both rotor systems. The pilot reported in the Recommendation section of the National Transportation Board Pilot Aircraft Accident Report, that the accident could have been prevented by not allowing herself to become distracted during flight. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N630ML
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10603
- Built
- 2005
- Airframe hours
- 2,154.9
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-F1B5, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Flying M Air LLC
- Registered owner
- Flying M Air LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 17, 2018
- Departed
- DWA · Davis/Woodland/Winters, CA
- Destination
- Woodland, CA
- Equipment
- 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
- 56
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 19, 2017
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,620 total · 2,400 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 8.6 in the last 90 days · 5.5 in the last 30 days · 0.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dawn
- Wind
- 170° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 30 °F, dew point 19 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.37 inHg
- Observed at
- KEDU, 4 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 14, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.2 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.