Robinson R44 N611TH
7 October 2018 · Salinas, California, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 7 October 2018 at about 01:30 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N611TH was involved in an accident near Salinas, California, 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 01:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Salinas, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 36.6628, -121.6064
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N611TH
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2008
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Salinas → Paso Robles
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR19LA002
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The partial loss of engine power after takeoff due to faulty wiring to the engine governor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Shortly after takeoff, as the pilot turned the helicopter onto the crosswind leg of the traffic pattern, he noticed an “immediate low rotor speed,” a loss of engine power, and the helicopter yawed to the left. The pilot increased power; however, both the engine and rotor rpm continued to decrease rapidly. The pilot lowered the collective to regain and maintain rotor rpm and initiated an autorotation to an agricultural field. The helicopter landed hard, and a rotor blade severed the tail boom. The pilot stated that he experienced the same malfunctions twice during a flight about 3 months before the accident (low rotor speed and loss of engine power). During this flight, he was able to land the helicopter without incident. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed faulty wiring to the engine governor. Because of the faulty wiring, the governor was likely unable to sense rotor and engine rpm and make the necessary adjustments to keep rotor rpm constant, resulting in a loss of engine power.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 2018 | Hawley Richard A1B | Lincoln, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2018 | Cassutt IIIM | Rosamond, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 May 2018 | Cessna 182D | Crescent Mills, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2018 | Champion 7KCAB | Descanso, California, United States | Three Point Partners Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 Dec 2018 | Piper PA28 | Chino, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 2018 | Piper PA28 | Van Nuys, California, United States | Airfleet Holdings Llc. | No injuries | - |