Robinson R-44 N14MY

Summary

On 19 May 2006 at about 19:05 local time, a Robinson R-44 registered N14MY, operated by Henry A. Perry, was involved in an accident near Indiantown, Florida, 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.

Date

19 May 2006 at 19:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Indiantown, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Indiantown (X58)

Coordinates

27.0364, -80.4400

Aircraft

Robinson R-44

Registration

N14MY

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Henry A. Perry

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Stuart → Indiantown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC06CA057

Nobody was injured.

A hard landing and subsequent nose down when the helicopter pilot misjudged the landing flare during a touchdown autorotation.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The private certificated helicopter pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge (IIC) that he had practiced two or three autorotations at a grass/turf covered runway that terminated with a power recovery to a hover during a CFR Part 91 personal flight. He decided to perform a touch-down autorotation, and said that he pulled excessive collective pitch during the termination of the maneuver, and accelerated too much while leveling the helicopter at the conclusion of the deceleration flare. The helicopter touched down hard and tilted forward onto its nose, the forward portion of the right skid tube fractured, and the main rotor blades struck the ground and the tailboom.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.