Robinson R44 II N222VB
21 August 2021 · Gonzales, Louisiana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 21 August 2021 at about 04:00 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N222VB, operated by Down River Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Gonzales, Louisiana, 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 04:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Gonzales, Louisiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 30.2461, -90.9219
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N222VB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2002
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Down River Aviation LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Gonzales → Gonzales
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night
- NTSB number
- CEN21LA378
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s inadvertent collision with a tree while landing at night which resulted in a hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that he was approaching to land at night when the helicopter tail rotor struck a tree. He felt the helicopter “shake a little” and noticed it was “falling.” The pilot attempted to cushion the landing by increasing collective and the helicopter came to rest on both skids upright. The helicopter fuselage and tail rotor sustained damaged during the hard landing. The pilot reported that there were 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Sep 2021 | Robinson R44 II | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | Universal Helicopters | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2021 | Robinson R44 | Ma'ale Edomin, Israel | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Oct 2021 | Robinson R44 | Lytkarino, Russia | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 2 Jan 2021 | Robinson R44 | Eaglesham, Canada | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 9 Jan 2021 | Robinson R44 II | Albany, Texas, United States | S2 Helicopter Services LLC | No injuries | - |
| 6 Jul 2021 | Robinson R44 | Mikolajki, Poland | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2021 | Air Tractor AT-502A | Clayton, Louisiana, United States | Ferriday Flying Service Inc | Fatal | 1 |
| 23 May 2021 | Sub-Sonex JSX-2 | Shreveport, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 6 Oct 2021 | Bell 206 | Gonzales, Louisiana, United States | Louisiana Department of Public Safety | Minor injuries | - |
| 19 Jan 2021 | Air Tractor AT-802A | Newellton, Louisiana, United States | Tensas Flying Service LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 20 Aug 2021 | Robinson R44 II | New Roads, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Dec 2021 | American Legend AL18 | Abbeville, Louisiana, United States | - | No injuries | - |