Robinson R44 II N569BC
24 May 2013 · Cross Timbers, Missouri, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 24 May 2013 at about 23:00 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N569BC, operated by Lucas Oil Products Inc, was involved in an accident near Cross Timbers, Missouri, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cross Timbers, Missouri, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.0392, -93.2881
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N569BC
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2006
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Lucas Oil Products Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Executive/Corporate
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Wheatland → Wheatland
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN13FA295
People
2 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to see and avoid a power line during the low-altitude flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter pilot was conducting an aerial tour. After the helicopter did not return when it was expected, a search was conducted. The wreckage was located the following day in a sparsely populated and densely wooded area. Signs of impact damage were found on nearby trees. A postimpact fire had consumed the fuselage and most of the empennage. A postaccident examination of the airframe revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. A power line was found wrapped around the main rotor drive shaft, and a section of the power line was found resting on the ground leading from the power line pole toward the main wreckage. Before impact, the power line was perpendicular to the helicopter flightpath and suspended about 65 feet above the ground. It is likely that the pilot did not see and avoid the power line and that the helicopter impacted the power line and, subsequently, trees and terrain.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 2013 | Wohaska John PARSONS STILES GYRO | Festus, Missouri, United States | Wohaska John S | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Nov 2013 | Cessna 182Q | Braggadocio, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 6 Nov 2013 | Piper PA-32R-301 | Kirksville, Missouri, United States | RFG LLC | Fatal | 2 |
| 11 Jun 2013 | Youngs William D T211 | Festus, Missouri, United States | Smith James E | Serious injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 2013 | Air Tractor AT-301 | Bowling Green, Missouri, United States | Air Cover Crop Solutions LLC | No injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 2013 | Cirrus SR22 | Chesterfield, Missouri, United States | Shiv Patil | Fatal | 2 |