- Date
- January 15, 2008, 12:15 local (17:15 UTC)
- Place
- Fenner, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N122AARobinson R44 II
- Defining event
- Landing: Roll over
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 2008
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20080115009899A
- Case key
- 67398
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 delayed decision to perform a precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was the reduced visibility in snow and the soft terrain.
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 pilot of the Robinson R44 II was on the final leg of a visual flight rules (VFR) flight when, about 18 miles from the destination airport, he obtained a special VFR clearance from the approach controller due to snow showers in the area. The clearance was later canceled by the controller due to "saturation," and the pilot was told not to enter the area, which was several miles ahead. The pilot then turned the helicopter around and entered a "near zero/zero whiteout," but during the "tight" turn the attitude indicator "tumbled." The pilot then elected to perform a precautionary landing to a plowed field below. As the helicopter contacted the ground, the skids sunk into the soft terrain, and the aft portion of the tailboom and the skids separated from the fuselage. The weather reported at the destination airport at the time of the accident included 1 1/2 statute miles visibility in light snow and mist.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot of the Robinson R44 II, he was on the final leg of a visual flight rules (VFR) flight. About 18 miles from the destination airport, the pilot obtained a special VFR clearance from the approach controller due to snow showers in the area. The clearance was later canceled by the controller due to "saturation," and the pilot was told not to enter the area, which was several miles ahead. The pilot then turned the helicopter around and entered a "near zero/zero whiteout," but during the "tight" turn the attitude indicator "tumbled." The pilot then elected to perform a precautionary landing to a plowed field below. As the helicopter contacted the ground, the skids sunk into the soft terrain, and the aft portion of the tailboom and the skids separated from the fuselage. The weather reported at the destination airport at the time of the accident included 1 1/2 statute miles visibility in light snow and mist.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N122AA
- Reported as
- Robinson R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 11228
- Airframe hours
- 455
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540, 245 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Adkins Aviation
- Registered owner
- Adkins Aviation
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 1, 2007
- Departed
- N66 · Oneonta, NY
- Destination
- SYR · Syracuse, NY
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- SYR · Syracuse International Airport
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
- 51
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Flight engineer, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Multi-engine sea, Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 1, 2007
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 27,000 total · 2,030 in this make and model · 25,000 as pilot in command · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 340° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 1.5 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 1,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 28 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.80 inHg
- Observed at
- SYR, 18 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.