Robinson R44 N44XL
22 September 2015 · West Palm Beach, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 22 September 2015 at about 14:30 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N44XL, operated by Airmen Testing and Training Inc., was involved in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, United States. 2 people were 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.
The record
- Date
- at 14:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- West Palm Beach, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Palm Beach County Park (LNA)
- Coordinates
- 26.5911, -80.0819
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N44XL
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2001
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Airmen Testing and Training Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- West Palm Beach → West Palm Beach
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA15CA280
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
The flight instructor's improper use of pitch control during a demonstrated 180 degree autorotation which resulted in damage to the tail boom.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter flight instructor reported that during a local instructional flight, he was demonstrating a 180 degree autorotation to the ground. The flight instructor reported he entered the autorotation and everything was normal. During the flare, too much aft cyclic input was used and the helicopter touched down on the heels of the skids. The flight instructor reported the touchdown was not excessively hard or uneven. A post flight examination of the helicopter revealed that the main rotor blade had contacted the tail boom, causing substantial damage to the tail boom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb 2015 | Robinson R44 II | Calexico, California, United States | John Reed Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 2015 | Robinson R44 II | Dunlap, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 2015 | Robinson R44 | Foleyet, Canada | Apex Helicopters Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Jun 2015 | Robinson R44-UNDESIGNAT | Timber Creek, Australia, Australia | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Nov 2015 | Robinson R44 II | Alpine, Texas, United States | Concho Aviation LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 2015 | Robinson R44 | Fort Glenn, Alaska, United States | Bering Pacific Ranches, Ltd. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Apr 2015 | Cessna 182R | Fort Myers, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 2015 | Piper PA 18-150 | LaBelle, Florida, United States | LOW & Slow Aviation Ventures LLC | No injuries | - |
| 12 Jan 2015 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Deland, Florida, United States | Skyline Solutions Inc | No injuries | - |
| 12 Apr 2015 | Boeing 767 34AF | Miami, Florida, United States | United Parcel Service | Unknown | - |
| 2 Jan 2015 | Dayton A Babcock STORM | Eustis, Florida, United States | Lake Hoppers Air Adventures, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2015 | Bombardier CL-600-2B16 | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |