Robinson R44 II N3156U
31 August 2013 · Caballo, New Mexico, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 31 August 2013 at about 17:45 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N3156U, operated by Kendall S. Livingston, was involved in an accident near Caballo, New Mexico, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 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 17:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Caballo, New Mexico, United States
- Coordinates
- 33.0378, -107.3083
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N3156U
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2006
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Kendall S. Livingston
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Truth or Conseq → Truth or Conseq
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN13FA517
People
3 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to see and avoid power lines while maneuvering near the ground because dust stirred up by the rotor wash obscured his visibility.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Three witnesses saw the helicopter hovering and the rotor wash stirring up dust. One of those witnesses and another witness observed the helicopter turn, start to fly away, collide with two power lines, and subsequently hit the ground and bounce. The dust likely obscured the pilot's visibility while he was maneuvering the helicopter near the ground and led to his failure to see and avoid the power lines.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Feb 2013 | Robinson R44 II | Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States | Crumpton Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jul 2013 | Robinson R44 II | Thompson Falls, Montana, United States | Rocky Mountain Rotors | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Jul 2013 | Robinson R44 | Capron, Illinois, United States | Back Nine Aerial LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 2013 | Robinson R44 | Wygonin, Poland | Windprojekt | Fatal | 3 |
| 27 Jan 2013 | Robinson R44 | Fox Creek, Alberta, Canada | Gemini Helicopters, Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 25 Jun 2013 | Robinson R44 II | The Dalles, Oregon, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sep 2013 | Bell 206L-3 | Amistad, New Mexico, United States | State of Illinois | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 Feb 2013 | Bell 206B III | Ponderosa, New Mexico, United States | Aerowest Helicopter Svc | No injuries | - |
| 20 Apr 2013 | Cessna 175A | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 2013 | Schempp-Hirth VENTUS-2B | Corona, New Mexico, United States | Paynter G Frank | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Sep 2013 | Cessna 180 | Gallup, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 2013 | Cessna 195B | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | Ronald S. Harmon | Minor injuries | - |