Robinson R44 N7048C
30 August 2022 · Beardsley, Minnesota, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 30 August 2022 at about 20:30 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N7048C, operated by MN Helicopters Inc, was involved in an accident near Beardsley, Minnesota, United States. 4 people were on board and 4 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 20:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Beardsley, Minnesota, United States
- Coordinates
- 45.5583, -96.7123
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N7048C
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 1998
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- MN Helicopters Inc
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN22LA404
People
4 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the approach to land that resulted in an excessive descent rate and impact with terrain.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the air tour flight reported that he was performing a pedal turn to put the nose of the helicopter into the wind for landing when he overshot the turn with the tail. The pilot tried to correct by performing another rotation, but the low rotor rpm light illuminated, and the low rpm horn sounded. The pilot attempted to lower the collective to regain forward airspeed, but the helicopter landed hard on the skids, bounced, and rolled over onto its left side. A witness reported that the helicopter approached from the north and entered a spiral descent before “it went down” from an altitude of about 80-100 ft. above ground level. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor blades, and tail rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal helicopter operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 Jul 2022 | Robinson R44 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Apr 2022 | Robinson R44 II | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Utah Helicopter LLC | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2022 | Robinson R44 II | Waterloo, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 2022 | Robinson R44 II | Cedar City, Utah, United States | Southern Utah University | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Oct 2022 | Robinson R44 | Sarasota, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Jul 2022 | Robinson R44 | Off shore, Ecuador | - | Fatal | 2 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun 2022 | American AA-1A | Granite Falls, Minnesota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2022 | Beechcraft C23 | Eden Prairie, Minnesota, United States | Skysurv Inc | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 2022 | Weatherly 620A | Stewart, Minnesota, United States | Classic Aero Crop Protection Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 21 Jul 2022 | Air Tractor AT-502 | East Grand Forks, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Jul 2022 | Piper J3C-65 | Sturgeon Lake, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Sep 2022 | Zenith CH701 | Stanton, Minnesota, United States | - | No injuries | - |