Robinson R44 N828AK
30 December 2023 · Daytona Beach, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 30 December 2023 at about 19:04 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N828AK, operated by Tunica Helicopters LLC, was involved in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. 3 people were 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 19:04
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Daytona Beach, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Daytona Beach International (DAB)
- Coordinates
- 29.1632, -81.0782
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N828AK
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2007
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Tunica Helicopters LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA24LA079
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The UAS operator’s failure to operate within the limitations of the COA that he was using to operate inside class C airspace, which resulted in a collision between the UAS and the helicopter.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of the helicopter reported that while flying at an indicated altitude around 200 to 300 ft, while on approach to land at an off-airport landing zone, he saw a black “drone” [unmanned aerial system (UAS)] in front of his windscreen. He attempted to avoid the UAS but was unable and the UAS impacted the main rotor resulting in substantial damage to a main rotor blade. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The UAS operator reported that he was conducting operations over a construction site. The area was inside of the class C airspace of a nearby airport and the UAS operator was using a Federal Aviation Administration Certificate of wavier or authorization (COA) that had been previously obtained by the construction company who hired him. The UAS operator reported that he was flying at an altitude of 180 ft, and that before the flight he had not realized that this altitude was above the maximum altitude of 150 ft imposed by the COA. The COA also required the UAS operator to notify the air traffic control tower at the nearby airport at least 15 minutes prior to the proposed start time of any operations. The UAS operator stated, and a review of contact records by the air traffic control tower confirmed, that no call was received from the UAS operator notifying them of the operation. Additionally, the drone operations manager for the construction company who contracted the UAS operator reported that the operator was supposed to check in with the on-site supervisor before conducting operations and stated that this did not happen on the day of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robinson R44 | N828AK | Tunica Helicopters LLC | Substantial |
| Dji MAVIC 2 PRO | FA3XNWMRAN | - | Destroyed |
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 May 2023 | Robinson R44 II | Skwentna, Alaska, United States | Willow Creek Aviation | Minor injuries | - |
| 11 May 2023 | Robinson R44 II | Bradenton, Florida, United States | Registration Pending | No injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 2023 | Robinson R44 | Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Mar 2023 | Robinson R44 | Sao Paulo, Brazil | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 6 Dec 2023 | Robinson R44 II | Calexico, California, United States | Merten Aviation Services LLC | No injuries | - |
| 8 Jan 2023 | Robinson R44 | Hamilton Island, Australia | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Aug 2023 | Jamros Robert L Jr CHALLENGER II | Port Orange, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Mar 2023 | Beechcraft 35-B33 | Scottsmoor, Florida, United States | Honour Aviation LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 31 Jan 2023 | Green Richard H VAN'S RV7A | Williston, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 28 Nov 2023 | Lancair 235 | Stuart, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 3 Jan 2023 | Cessna 172N | Opa-locka, Florida, United States | Skyduo Flight Academy LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 2023 | Dorr Dan W SEQUOIA F.8L FALCO | Sanford, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |