Robinson R44 II N4168W
5 March 2011 · Weston, Florida, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 5 March 2011 at about 10:55 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N4168W, operated by Bravo Helicopters, Inc., was involved in an accident near Weston, Florida, United States. One person was on board and one was seriously 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 10:55
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Weston, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- 26.2622, -80.5472
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N4168W
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Bravo Helicopters, Inc.
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- St. Cloud → Miami
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- ERA11CA180
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude and physical alertness which resulted in an in-flight collision with the water. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's fatigue.
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 on a cross country flight at 1,000 feet mean sea level. About 1 hour 25 minutes into the flight, he recalled the sound of water hitting the helicopter and the next thing he remembered was after the impact. He further reported there was no mechanical failure or malfunction with the helicopter, and the cause of the crash was due to fatigue. The pilot stated that he had three days of restless sleep and no appetite prior to the accident due to stress.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Nov 2011 | Robinson R44 II | Hackensack, Minnesota, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 Mar 2011 | Robinson R44 II | Glenwood Springs, Colorado, United States | 244 Charlie Delta LLC | No injuries | - |
| 1 May 2011 | Robinson R44 II | Indiana, Pennsylvania, United States | Penn Helicopter LLC | Fatal | 1 |
| 31 Mar 2011 | Robinson R44 | Straubing, Germany | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Dec 2011 | Robinson R44 | Sao Bento do Sul, Brazil | SASH Locacao de Veiculos | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Jul 2011 | Robinson R44 II | Cornwall, United Kingdom | - | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Nov 2011 | North American SNJ-6 | Kissimmee, Florida, United States | Warbird Adventures Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 26 Feb 2011 | Enstrom F-28C | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | Disk Copy Inc | Minor injuries | - |
| 4 Jul 2011 | Fessenden Alfred EXPERMENTAL RV-4 | Fort Drum, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 4 Oct 2011 | Air Tractor AT-502B | Fort Pierce, Florida, United States | Southeastern Aerial Crop Service Inc | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 Jul 2011 | Piper PA-28-161 | Crystal River, Florida, United States | Tailwheels Etc | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 2011 | Boeing 737 7H4 | Cape Coral, Florida, United States | Southwest Airlines | Serious injuries | - |