Robinson R44 II N4043B
11 August 2021 · Wheeling, Illinois, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 11 August 2021 at about 11:40 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N4043B, operated by Crown Point Helicopter LLC, was involved in an accident near Wheeling, Illinois, 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 11:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Wheeling, Illinois, United States
- Nearest airport
- Chicago Exec (PWK)
- Coordinates
- 42.1143, -87.9015
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N4043B
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2021
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Crown Point Helicopter LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Unknown → Morton Grove
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN21LA369
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
A partial loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on available information.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported a decrease in engine and rotor rpm during cruise flight. The pilot reported that he heard sounds from the engine “like detonations,” and he placed the helicopter into autorotation and landed on a road. The helicopter rotor blades struck a pole and the helicopter rolled onto its right side. Downloaded data from the engine monitoring unit confirmed the decrease in engine and rotor rpm. Functional testing of the engine and electronic governor control revealed no anomalies. Bench testing of the engine rpm sensor and the electronic governor control unit also revealed no anomalies. During functional testing, it was confirmed that the manual throttle control could be used to override the governor control. Based on the available information, the reason for the decrease in engine rpm reported by the pilot could not be determined.
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 | - |
| 21 Aug 2021 | Robinson R44 II | Gonzales, Louisiana, United States | Down River Aviation LLC | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 May 2021 | Beechcraft A36 | Pinckneyville, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 May 2021 | I C A -Brasov (Romania) IS-28B2 | Hampshire, Illinois, United States | Sky Soaring Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 13 Aug 2021 | Cessna 140 | Greenville, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2021 | Embraer S A ERJ 170-200 LR | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Skywest Airlines Inc | No injuries | - |
| 21 May 2021 | Boeing 737-7H4 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Southwest Airlines Co | No injuries | - |
| 21 Aug 2021 | Airbus 319-132 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | American Airlines | Serious injuries | - |