Robinson R44 N315SG

Summary

On 28 August 2004 at about 01:50 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N315SG was involved in an accident near Wildwood, New Jersey, 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.

Date

28 August 2004 at 01:50

Classification

Accident

Location

Wildwood, New Jersey, United States

Nearest airport

Cape May County Airport (WWD)

Coordinates

39.0083, -74.9081

Aircraft

Robinson R44

Registration

N315SG

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Wildwood → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

NYC04CA199

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's inadequate visual lookout while conducting a nighttime landing to a dolly, which resulted in a stuck skid, and subsequent hard landing. A factor was the nighttime conditions.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

As the helicopter was being set down onto a dolly during the hours of darkness, it felt unstable, and the pilot elected to abort the landing. As the pilot raised the collective, the helicopter lurched forward and began to spin to the left. The pilot lowered the collective, reduced the throttle, and the helicopter touched down hard onto the ground, spreading the landing skids. Inspection of the dolly, and the landing skids on the helicopter, revealed that the rear portion of the left skid became stuck under metal framework, which was exposed in an open area near the center section of the dolly.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.