Robinson R44 N124LA
16 July 2019 · Council Bluff, Iowa, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 16 July 2019 at about 22:50 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N124LA, operated by Rotors Llc, was involved in an accident near Council Bluff, Iowa, 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 22:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Council Bluff, Iowa, United States
- Coordinates
- 41.2344, -95.7464
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N124LA
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2008
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Rotors Llc
- Operating rule
- Part 137: Agricultural
- Purpose of flight
- Aerial Application
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Council Bluff → Council Bluff
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- GAA19CA428
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's improper cyclic input during liftoff from a landing deck, which resulted in the right skid hooking onto an opening on the landing deck and a subsequent dynamic rollover.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that, while lifting off from a landing deck on top of an industrial truck, the helicopter's right rear skid hooked into an opening on the deck. The helicopter dynamically rolled right and impacted the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main and tail rotor systems, fuselage, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Oct 2019 | Robinson R44 | Pretoria, South Africa | International Trade And Commodities | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jun 2019 | Robinson R44 | Parsons, West Virginia, United States | Ali Co | Serious injuries | - |
| 17 May 2019 | Robinson R44 | Alpine, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 19 May 2019 | Robinson R44 II | Tai Po, China | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 28 Sep 2019 | Robinson R44 | Sanford, Maine, United States | York County Helicopters | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Jul 2019 | Robinson R44 | Mt Tremblank, Canada | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Aug 2019 | Air Tractor AT502 | Sumner, Iowa, United States | Air Advantage Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 11 Mar 2019 | Cessna 172 | Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States | Midwest Aviation Service Inc | No injuries | - |
| 15 Mar 2019 | Pereira OSPREY | Independence, Iowa, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 26 Mar 2019 | Cessna 172 | Pella, Iowa, United States | Classic Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 2019 | Robinson R44 | Ida Grove, Iowa, United States | Mid-West Helicopter, LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 25 Oct 2019 | Cessna 172 | Swea City, Iowa, United States | Iowa Flight Training | Minor injuries | - |