- Date
- September 27, 2009, 18:30 local (Sep 28, 2009, 01:30 UTC)
- Place
- Mt Charleston, NV
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N29LERobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Maneuvering: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 29, 2009
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Administration
- FAA report
- 20090927019419A
- Case key
- 74813
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 maintain aircraft control and terrain clearance while maneuvering at a low altitude above high terrain. Contributing to the accident was a downdraft and high density altitude.
Findings · 4
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 stated that he was orbiting at 50 knots about 100 feet above the 11,800-foot mean sea level (msl) mountain peak. As he flew the helicopter out of the leeward side of the peak, he encountered a downdraft. He maneuvered the helicopter toward a wide open valley that descended about 5,000 feet below. The downdraft pushed the helicopter into the face of the mountain, despite the pilot's application of full collective and descending flight into the valley. The helicopter impacted the mountain slope, caught fire, and tumbled. The pilot and his two passengers egressed the burning helicopter with minor injuries. The pilot hiked to the peak, and called for rescue using a cell phone. The calculated density altitude for the conditions was 13,918 feet. The published maximum operating density altitude for the helicopter was 14,000 feet. The pilot stated that the helicopter had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Factual narrative
The pilot stated that he was orbiting at 50 knots about 100 feet above the 11,800-foot msl (mean sea level) mountain peak. As he flew the helicopter out of the leeward side of the peak, he encountered a downdraft. He maneuvered the helicopter towards a wide open valley that descended about 5,000 feet below. The downdraft pushed the helicopter into the face of the mountain despite the pilot's application of full collective, and descending flight into the valley. The helicopter impacted the mountain slope, caught fire, and tumbled. The pilot and his two passengers egressed the burning helicopter with minor injuries. The pilot hiked to the peak, and called for rescue using a cell phone. The calculated density altitude for the conditions at 11,800 feet msl, altimeter 29.78 inHg, and temperature of 47 degrees F, is 13,918 feet. The published maximum operating density altitude for the R-44 II is 14,000 feet. The pilot stated that the helicopter had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N29LE
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10269
- Airframe hours
- 2,492
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540 SER, 300 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Mojave Aviation
- Registered owner
- Bank Of Utah Trustee
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 19, 2009 · 94 hours before
- Departed
- KVGT · Las Vegas, NV
- Destination
- KVGT · Las Vegas, NV
- Airport
- KVGT · North Las Vegas
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
- None
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane, Helicopter
- Medical
- Class 1
- Last flight review
- November 7, 2008
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 2,578 total · 359 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 90 °F, dew point 28 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.78 inHg
- Observed at
- KVGT, 35 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 21, 2009, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.5 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.