Robinson R44 II N797JR
8 January 2018 · Albany, Texas, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 8 January 2018 at about 19:45 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N797JR was involved in an accident near Albany, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 19:45
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Albany, Texas, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.7300, -99.3094
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N797JR
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2006
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Albany → Albany
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN18LA069
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
A loss of helicopter control for reasons that could not be determined because postaccident examination did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures of the main rotor and tail rotor systems that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot stated that he was using the helicopter to round up cattle. He applied power to stabilize in a hover about 50 ft above the ground when he heard a single loud bang and "felt it in the pedals." The helicopter spun to the right, and the pilot applied full left pedal, which had no effect on the helicopter. The pilot stated that after about two spins, he entered an autorotation to remove torque from the rotor system. The helicopter contacted trees as it descended to the ground and came to rest upright with the tailboom separated. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures of the main rotor and tail rotor systems that would have precluded normal operation; thus, the reason for the loss of control could not be determined.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jul 2018 | Robinson R44 | Domecko, Poland | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 26 Jan 2018 | Robinson R44 II | Loveland, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Jan 2018 | Robinson R44 | Newport Beach, California, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Jan 2018 | Robinson R44 | Ayers Rock, Australia | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 May 2018 | Robinson R44 II | Mabula, South Africa | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Dec 2018 | Robinson R44 | Strykersville, New York, United States | Moog Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Apr 2018 | Piper PA 24 | New Braunfels, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2018 | Kolb TWINSTAR | La Porte, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Apr 2018 | Wittman W10 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 16 Apr 2018 | Bordiuk CHALLENGER II | Friona, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 5 Oct 2018 | Beechcraft 55 | San Antonio, Texas, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2018 | Steen SKYBOLT | Lexington, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |