- Date
- June 27, 2020, 17:45 local (Jun 28, 2020, 00:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pioche, NV
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N7530BRobinson R44
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA-FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200627008549A
- Case key
- 101499
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 decision to fly at low level over mountainous terrain and his inability to recover when the helicopter encountered a downdraft that resulted in a collision with 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 helicopter was flying over mountainous terrain, about 500 ft agl, with moderate wind and turbulence conditions. After he slowed the helicopter to 60-70 knots it suddenly and uncontrollably descended at a rapid rate in a severe downdraft. The pilot maneuvered toward lower terrain to accelerate but was unable to arrest the descent before the helicopter collided with the ground tail first. The helicopter fuselage was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7530B
- Reported as
- Robinson R44 (II)
- Category
- Helicopter
- Serial number
- 10390
- Built
- 2004
- Airframe hours
- 3,421.3
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 21, 2019
- Departed
- 1L1 · Panaca, NV
- Destination
- OL2 · Caliente Flight Strip, NV
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Handheld GPS, Satellite tracking device
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
- 49
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 21, 2019
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 3,914.3 total · 716 in this make and model · 3,542 as pilot in command · 40.5 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 270° at 12 knots, gusting 20
- Temperature
- 81 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.87 inHg
- Observed at
- KSGU, 62 nm away
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 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.