Robinson R44 N744JS
12 November 2016 · Stone Lake, Wisconsin, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 12 November 2016 at about 17:00 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N744JS, operated by S. M. Hentges & Sons Inc., was involved in an accident near Stone Lake, Wisconsin, United States. One person was on board and one had minor injuries. 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 17:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Stone Lake, Wisconsin, United States
- Coordinates
- 45.7786, -91.6239
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N744JS
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2011
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- S. M. Hentges & Sons Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Stone Lake → Stone Lake
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA17CA070
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain lateral control while in a hover and the helicopter’s subsequent impact with a tree.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that, during a hover taxi for takeoff, about 3 ft above the ground, he thought that he saw a person at the corner of his driveway. He added that he stopped and that the helicopter drifted to the left. Subsequently, the main rotor blade impacted a tree, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Dec 2016 | Robinson R44 | Juhu, India | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 Dec 2016 | Robinson R44 | Separ, New Mexico, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Aug 2016 | Robinson R44 | Kailua/Kona, Hawaii, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Apr 2016 | Robinson R44 II | Atemajac de Brizuela, Mexico | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 2 Jun 2016 | Robinson R44 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | 702 Helicopter Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 28 May 2016 | Robinson R44 | Spring Branch, Texas, United States | Flying Helicopters Inc | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jul 2016 | Piper PA 25-235 | Arlington, Wisconsin, United States | Kazs Flying Service Ltd. | Minor injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 2016 | Boyd Kenneth C RANS S-19 | Ephraim, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 May 2016 | Beechcraft A23-24 | Clintonville, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 1 Feb 2016 | Piper PA 28-140 | Sturtevant, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jun 2016 | Aeronca 7BCM | Rochester, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2016 | Brandt SONEX | Lodi, Wisconsin, United States | - | No injuries | - |