- Date
- December 7, 2012, 14:46 local (21:46 UTC)
- Place
- Roosevelt Lake, AZ
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 2 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N557ACRobinson Helicopter R44 II
- Defining event
- Enroute-cruise: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 10, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- Federal Aviation Adminstration
- FAA report
- 20121207027839A
- Case key
- 85761
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 visual disorientation, which resulted in a collision with the lake.
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 descended the helicopter out of mountainous terrain and then continued over a large mountain lake, cruising about 100 knots at an altitude of about 200 to 250 feet. The lake water was very clear and perfectly calm. The pilot looked inside the cockpit to check instruments, and when he looked outside and below the helicopter, he experienced a feeling of mental confusion similar to vertigo. At this point the pilot estimated that the helicopter was between 15 and 20 feet above the water. He pulled aft on the cyclic, the helicopter impacted the water, pitched forward, and sank. The pilot and his two passengers were able to egress the helicopter while it was submerged. Immediately after the accident the pilot told a park ranger who was on-scene that he was traveling a little low and thought he set a skid in the water. One of the passengers stated that moments before the collision with the water, the pilot had asked them if they wanted to get closer to the water and if they wanted to chase some birds.
Factual narrative
The pilot descended the helicopter out of mountainous terrain and then continued over a large mountain lake, cruising about 100 knots, between 200 and 250 feet. The lake water was very clear and perfectly calm. The pilot looked inside the cockpit to check instruments, and when he looked outside and below the helicopter, he experienced a feeling of mental confusion similar to vertigo. At this point the pilot estimated that the helicopter was between 15 and 20 feet above the water. He pulled aft on the cyclic, the helicopter impacted the water, pitched forward, and sank. The pilot and his two passengers were able to egress the helicopter while it was submerged. Immediately after the accident the pilot told a Park Ranger who was on-scene that he was traveling a little low and thinks he set a skid in the water. One of the passengers stated that moments before the collision with the water the pilot had asked them if they wanted to get closer to the water and if they wanted to chase some birds.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N557AC
- Reported as
- Robinson Helicopter R44 II
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 11387
- Airframe hours
- 1,813
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business · Part 91
- Operator
- Blue Sky Helicopters
- Registered owner
- Pollux Aviation Ltd
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 8, 2012
- Departed
- KSDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Destination
- KSDL · Scottsdale, AZ
- Airport
- KSDL · Scottsdale 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
- 61
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Medical
- Class 2, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- March 6, 2012
- Seat
- Right
- Flight hours
- 3,957 total · 47 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Observed at
- KSDL, 42 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 16, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.