Robinson R44 II N29LE
28 September 2009 · Mt Charleston, Nevada, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 28 September 2009 at about 01:30 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N29LE, operated by Mojave Aviation, was involved in an accident near Mt Charleston, Nevada, United States. 3 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 01:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Mt Charleston, Nevada, United States
- Nearest airport
- North Las Vegas (KVGT)
- Coordinates
- 36.2711, -115.6958
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N29LE
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Mojave Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Las Vegas → Las Vegas
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR09CA470
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control and terrain clearance while maneuvering at a low altitude above high terrain. Contributing to the accident was a downdraft and high density altitude.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that he was orbiting at 50 knots about 100 feet above the 11,800-foot mean sea level (msl) mountain peak. As he flew the helicopter out of the leeward side of the peak, he encountered a downdraft. He maneuvered the helicopter toward a wide open valley that descended about 5,000 feet below. The downdraft pushed the helicopter into the face of the mountain, despite the pilot's application of full collective and descending flight into the valley. The helicopter impacted the mountain slope, caught fire, and tumbled. The pilot and his two passengers egressed the burning helicopter with minor injuries. The pilot hiked to the peak, and called for rescue using a cell phone. The calculated density altitude for the conditions was 13,918 feet. The published maximum operating density altitude for the helicopter was 14,000 feet. The pilot stated that the helicopter had no mechanical failures or malfunctions during the flight.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 May 2009 | Robinson R44 II | Meredith, New Hampshire, United States | Glenn L. Tonnesen | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jul 2009 | Robinson R44 | Silver Spring, Pennsylvania, United States | Advanced Helicopter Concepts | No injuries | - |
| 18 Dec 2009 | Robinson R44 II | Abilene, Texas, United States | Price Family Holdings LLC | No injuries | - |
| 23 Apr 2009 | Robinson R44 II | Kent, Texas, United States | Jobeco Materials LLC | No injuries | - |
| 15 Oct 2009 | Robinson R44 | La Belle, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 3 May 2009 | Robinson R44 | Cottonwood, Arizona, United States | Guidance Helicopters, Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Feb 2009 | Cessna TR182 | Amargosa Valley, Nevada, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 2009 | Schweizer 269C | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Airwork LLC | No injuries | - |
| 18 Jul 2009 | Leider T-18 | Carson City, Nevada, United States | George K. Leider | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Apr 2009 | Weinberg RV-6 | Sparks, Nevada, United States | Robert M McKay Trustee | No injuries | - |
| 12 Oct 2009 | Cessna 182F | Elko, Nevada, United States | Dean Johnson | No injuries | - |
| 9 May 2009 | Beechcraft 95 | Minden, Nevada, United States | Gary Annas | Fatal | 5 |