Robinson R44 II N4510T

Summary

On 21 January 2012 at about 17:30 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N4510T, operated by ACE Flyers Inc DBA, was involved in an accident near Beluga, Alaska, United States. One person was 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

21 January 2012 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Beluga, Alaska, United States

Coordinates

61.6447, -150.1019

Aircraft

Robinson R44 II

Registration

N4510T

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

ACE Flyers Inc DBA

Operating rule

Part 133: Rotorcraft Ext. Load

Purpose of flight

External Load

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Beluga → Beluga

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ANC12CA018

Nobody was injured.

Ground personnel's movement of cargo in windy conditions, which allowed a previously secured cargo sack to blow into the main rotor blades.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot landed the helicopter at an off-airport site in windy conditions. While he was performing the engine cool-down portion of the checklist, a worker at the site picked up a storage container that was weighing down an empty cargo sack. When the weight was removed, the sack was picked up by the wind, and it contacted the helicopter's main rotor system, resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor blades.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.