- Date
- September 6, 2019, 13:50 local (21:50 UTC)
- Place
- Nuiqsut, AK
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N447PARobinson R44
- Defining event
- Landing: Prop/jet/rotor blast/suction
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 17, 2020
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- FAA report
- 20190906017129I
- Case key
- 100220
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 improper decision to land downwind from unsecured debris, which resulted in the helicopter’s main rotor disk ingesting foreign objects.
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
The pilot reported that he landed the helicopter facing south and about 90 ft from where ground personnel were unhooking super sacks filled with gravel. When the skids touched down, the pilot reduced the collective and then saw an empty super sack about 15 ft away, which subsequently struck the main rotor toward the outboard portion of the blade. The super sack was ingested by the advancing side of the main rotor disk. The pilot rolled off the throttle and shut down the engine. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the 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, he landed the helicopter facing south and about 30 yards from the empty gravel carrying super sacks. When the skids touched down, the pilot reduced the collective and saw a super sack about 15ft away and coming at the helicopter. The super sack was ingested by the advancing side of the main rotor disk. The pilot rolled off throttle and shut down the engine. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades. The pilot reported that the wind at the accident site was from the southwest about 15 knots. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N447PA
- Reported as
- Robinson R44 (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 11197
- Built
- 2006
- Airframe hours
- 4,038.8
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 133
- Operator
- Pollux Aviation Ltd
- Registered owner
- Pollux Aviation Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · August 30, 2019
- Departed
- PASC · Deadhorse, AK
- Destination
- PASC · Deadhorse, AK
- Airport
- AQT · Nuiqsut
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
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
- 32
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- May 14, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 5-point
- Flight hours
- 2,215 total · 1,780 in this make and model · 2,149 as pilot in command · 102 in the last 90 days · 68 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.09 inHg
- Observed at
- PAUN
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 3, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.9 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.