- Date
- November 1, 2005, 13:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Bourne, MA
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N319CDRobinson R44
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 28, 2006
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA FSDO-01
- FAA report
- 20051101026009A
- Case key
- 62747
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 inadvertent contact of a lift strap with the tail rotor during external load operations, which resulted in a forced landing and subsequent collision with terrain. A factor in this accident was the gusty wind conditions.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was conducting external load operations, when a gust of wind blew the lifting strap into the tail rotor. The helicopter began to shudder, and rotate to the left. The pilot entered an autorotation; however, during landing, the helicopter rolled over onto its left side. Winds reported at an airport located about 4 miles east-southeast of the accident site, about the time of the accident, were from 200 degrees at 17 knots, with 23 knot gusts.
Factual narrative
The pilot was conducting external load operations, when a gust of wind blew lifting strap into the tail rotor. The helicopter began to shudder, and rotate to the left. The pilot entered an autorotation; however, during landing, the helicopter rolled over onto it's left side. Winds reported at an airport located about 4 miles east-southeast of the accident site, about the time of the accident, were from 200 degrees at 17 knots, with 23 knot gusts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N319CD
- Reported as
- Robinson R44
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 0585
- Airframe hours
- 2,278
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540, 205 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- External load · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Firefly Leasing Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 1, 2003 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- NONE · Wareham, MA
- Destination
- NONE
- Airport
- FMH · Falmouth
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
- 39
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Rear
- Flight hours
- 731 total · 355 in this make and model · 135 in the last 90 days · 65 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 17 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 25,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 50 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.97 inHg
- Observed at
- FMH, 4 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.