Robinson R44 II N721BB
19 July 2010 · Shreveport, Louisiana, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 19 July 2010 at about 21:30 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N721BB, operated by Helieye LLC, was involved in an accident near Shreveport, Louisiana, 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.
The record
- Date
- at 21:30
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
- Coordinates
- 32.3225, -93.6639
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N721BB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Helieye LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Shreveport → Shreveport
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN10CA417
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during takeoff, resulting in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and a subsequent hard landing.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to a written statement provided by the student helicopter pilot, he was practicing "sit downs and pick ups" to a grass field. The helicopter "sat down" uneventfully and the student pilot reduced power to chat with a friend. Shortly thereafter, the student pilot added power, ensured that all engine instruments were in the green, and attempted a takeoff. The student pilot detected a tailwind and applied left pedal correction; however, the helicopter yawed to the right one full rotation before the student pilot was able to set the helicopter back down. During the hard landing the horizontal stabilizer was bent, both tail rotor blades were damaged, the tail boom was wrinkled, and the fuselage was wrinkled on the right side. An examination of the helicopter and its related systems, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, revealed no preexisting anomalies.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 Dec 2010 | Cessna 182C | Crowley, Louisiana, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 22 Jul 2010 | Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B | Alexandria, Louisiana, United States | Vincent Flying Service | No injuries | - |
| 24 Jul 2010 | Cessna 180 | Davant, Louisiana, United States | Southern Aviation LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 27 Aug 2010 | Grumman Acft Eng Cor-Schweizer G-164B | Basile, Louisiana, United States | Kinder Ag Service | No injuries | - |
| 26 Jul 2010 | Bell 206 | Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, United States | Rotorcraft Leasing Co LLC | No injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2010 | Cessna 210 | Houma, Louisiana, United States | Black Star Aviation LLC | Minor injuries | - |