Robinson R44 N7184G
28 February 2004 · Burlington, Wisconsin, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 28 February 2004 at about 18:00 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N7184G was involved in an accident near Burlington, Wisconsin, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 18:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Burlington, Wisconsin, United States
- Nearest airport
- Burlington Muni (BUU)
- Coordinates
- 42.6906, -88.3044
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N7184G
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Burlington Muni → Lake Geneva
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CHI04LA079
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout and his failure to obtain/maintain clearance from the transmission wire during the takeoff. Factors contributing to the accident were the transmission wire and the pole.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter sustained substantial damage when it impacted the ground after contacting a power line and pole during takeoff. The pilot's accident report stated, "I cleared the area did a slow vertical liftoff and a left pedal turn. I was instantly in the wires which were [approximately] 10-12 [feet] north of depot and [approximately] 14-15 [feet] high. Obviously I didn't see the wires and have never seen wires that close to a fuel depot. ... The tail rotor got in the wires first and actually 'reeled' me backwards into the pole. Then the main rotor made contact. Then we hit the ground. It took me a few seconds to kill the engine as we were being bounced around so violently." His safety recommendation was, "The wires should at the very least been marked or identified in some way. (sign, placard) Most importantly they shouldn't have been so close to fuel depot 15-20 [feet] or so low. They should have been underground."
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Dec 2004 | Robinson R44 | Vlakfontein Far, South Africa | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jun 2004 | Robinson R44 | Barnesville, Georgia, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 8 Sep 2004 | Robinson R44 | Roma, Australia | Celestar PTY LTD | Fatal | 2 |
| 11 Sep 2004 | Robinson R44 | Vattlefjall, Sweden | HM-Jansson Akeri AB | Fatal | 3 |
| 18 Feb 2004 | Robinson R44 | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 24 Dec 2004 | Robinson R44 | Saga, Japan | S.G.C Saga Koukuu Company | Fatal | 3 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Aug 2004 | Knoepflein LANCAIR LEGACY 2000 | Madison, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Sep 2004 | Williams GLASTAR GS-1 | Hayward, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 8 May 2004 | Robinson R22 BETA | Genesee Depot, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 2004 | Cirrus SR-22 | Park Falls, Wisconsin, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 May 2004 | Piper PA-12 | Hartford, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Nov 2004 | Olson SONEX | Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |