Robinson R44 N367JM
8 August 2010 · Aguadilla, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 8 August 2010 at about 20:15 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N367JM, operated by Isla Grande Rental Corp, was involved in an accident near Aguadilla, 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 20:15
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Aguadilla, United States
- Coordinates
- 18.3775, -67.0278
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N367JM
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Isla Grande Rental Corp
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Aguadilla → San Sebastian
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA10CA407
People
4 people had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's inadequate preflight performance calculations, which resulted in the overweight helicopter's lack of hover capability out of ground effect.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot reported that during the takeoff the helicopter encountered a downdraft about 20 feet above the hilltop helipad. He stated that he attempted to compensate for the wind with a collective input, but the helicopter descended and struck the downsloping hillside. The helicopter came to rest on its side and incurred substantial damage during the accident sequence. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter. Review of performance documents in the Pilot's Operating Handbook for the helicopter revealed that it was loaded 94 pounds above the maximum gross weight and 120 pounds above the maximum allowable gross weight for out-of-ground-effect hover maneuvers for the environmental conditions present at the time of the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 2010 | Robinson R44 | Lagoa do Triunfo, Para, Brazil | - | Fatal | 4 |
| 30 Sep 2010 | Robinson R44 | Davinopolis, Brazil | Elen de Souza Santiago | Fatal | 1 |
| 10 Mar 2010 | Robinson R44 | Karelia, Russia | Dmitry Martynov | Fatal | 2 |
| 22 Dec 2010 | Robinson R44 II | Hemphill, Texas, United States | TGB Equipment Leasing LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 20 Jun 2010 | Robinson R44 | Unalaska, Alaska, United States | Bering Pacific Ranches Ltd | Fatal | 1 |
| 15 May 2010 | Robinson R44 | Baraboo, Wisconsin, United States | MD Helicopter Services LLC | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA II | Cotulla, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 Apr 2010 | Cessna 172N | Poughkeepsie, New York, United States | Cohen Bruce M | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jun 2010 | Piper PA-28-181 | Umpire, Arkansas, United States | Michael Hunt | Fatal | 4 |
| 22 Jul 2010 | Beechcraft V35 | Bend, Oregon, United States | Richard Degryse | No injuries | - |
| 28 Aug 2010 | Piper PA-15 | Duvall, Washington, United States | Petersen Rodger E | Minor injuries | - |
| 2 Oct 2010 | Cessna 172N | Salem, Oregon, United States | Graham Aviation Services | No injuries | - |