Robinson R44 II N174CD

Summary

On 5 October 2015 at about 20:50 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N174CD, operated by Over & OUT Inc., was involved in an accident near Devine, Texas, 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

5 October 2015 at 20:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Devine, Texas, United States

Coordinates

29.1078, -98.9467

Aircraft

Robinson R44 II

Registration

N174CD

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2015

Engines

1

Operator

Over & OUT Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Business

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Horseshoe Bay → Devine

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA16CA006

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance during the takeoff, which resulted in the helicopter striking power lines.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that during takeoff from a field next to an office building, the helicopter came in contact with one or two power lines, which caught on the left skid, and pulled the helicopter to the left. The main rotor blades contacted two power lines, and cut both of them. The pilot attempted to maintain control of the helicopter but it rolled to the left and impacted the ground. He reported that "the wires hit were invisible to me at the time of departure." A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, the main rotor blade system, the tail boom, and the tail rotor blade system.  The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.