Robinson R44 II N944DW
16 July 2010 · Salt Lake City, Utah, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 16 July 2010 at about 21:30 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N944DW, operated by Pathfinder Helicopters, was involved in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. One person on the ground also died. 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 21:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
- Nearest airport
- Salt Lake City Int. (KSLC)
- Coordinates
- 40.7883, -111.9778
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N944DW
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Pathfinder Helicopters
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Positioning
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Salt Lake City → Salt Lake City
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR10LA354
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured | On the ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's loss of directional control while attempting to move the helicopter laterally without first lifting it fully off its landing platform.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot had just landed the helicopter on a flatbed trailer when it was determined that it needed to be moved laterally in order for its skids to be correctly attached to the trailer. Therefore the pilot applied enough collective to make the helicopter "light on the skids," and then he applied cyclic input meant to slide the helicopter laterally. When the helicopter did not slide sideways as the pilot desired, he continued to apply left cyclic input, whereupon the helicopter suddenly began to move in a manner that resulted in it starting to fall off the trailer. During the pilot's attempt to regain directional control by lifting the helicopter clear of the trailer, its main rotor blades came in contact with the truck that the trailer was attached to. Once the blades contacted the truck, the helicopter rotated about 180 degrees and impacted the tarmac beside the trailer. Soon after it impacted the tarmac, a fast-growing fire began. During the accident sequence, an individual who was helping with the loading process was struck by a main rotor blade.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 2010 | Robinson R44 | Lagoa do Triunfo, Para, Brazil | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 30 Sep 2010 | Robinson R44 | Davinopolis, Brazil | Elen de Souza Santiago | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Mar 2010 | Robinson R44 | Karelia, Russia | Dmitry Martynov | Fatal | 2 |
| 22 Dec 2010 | Robinson R44 II | Hemphill, Texas, United States | TGB Equipment Leasing LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2010 | Robinson R44 | Unalaska, Alaska, United States | Bering Pacific Ranches Ltd | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 May 2010 | Robinson R44 | Baraboo, Wisconsin, United States | MD Helicopter Services LLC | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Jun 2010 | Air Creation GTE | Springville, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Oct 2010 | Beechcraft C24 | Blanding, Utah, United States | Max Coates | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jun 2010 | Schleicher Alexander Gmbh & ASH 26 E | Parowan, Utah, United States | Salkeld Edwin M JR Trustee | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 2010 | Cessna TR182 | Spanish Fork, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 May 2010 | Aviat A-1B | Moab, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-28-140 | Richfield, Utah, United States | Thomas Q. Ostrander | No injuries | - |