Robinson R44 N44NG

Summary

On 14 February 2005 at about 23:20 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N44NG was involved in an accident near Lake Arrowhead, California, United States. 4 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

14 February 2005 at 23:20

Classification

Accident

Location

Lake Arrowhead, California, United States

Nearest airport

Big Bear City (L35)

Coordinates

34.5500, -117.4167

Aircraft

Robinson R44

Registration

N44NG

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Big Bear → Torrance

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX05CA095

1 person had minor injuries.

the certified flight instructor's failure to adequately compensate for wind conditions and his selection of terrain unsuitable for a safe takeoff which resulted in a dynamic rollover.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The helicopter experienced a dynamic rollover and impacted terrain during an attempted takeoff from uneven terrain. The certified flight instructor (CFI) was demonstrating a pinnacle approach when the helicopter experienced a vortex ring state condition. After landing hard on uneven terrain, the CFI found that the right skid was on a 12-inch diameter rock and he attempted to lift the helicopter and set it on level ground. The left landing skid caught the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. Once outside the helicopter, the CFI reported that the winds shifted 180 degrees several times. He felt that this contributed to his encountering the vortex ring state, and the dynamic rollover. The CFI stated that the airplane had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.