Robinson R44-II N190SH

Summary

On 25 September 2013 at about 16:30 local time, a Robinson R44-II registered N190SH, operated by Atherton Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. 4 people were on board and 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

25 September 2013 at 16:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Flagstaff, Arizona, United States

Coordinates

35.3683, -111.8558

Aircraft

Robinson R44-II

Registration

N190SH

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Atherton Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Scottsdale → Flagstaff

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR13CA424

3 people had minor injuries.

The pilot's failure to maintain rotor rpm while landing in a gusty wind at a high density altitude.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he was landing the helicopter in a bowl-shaped meadow surrounded by mountains and trees. While circling the landing zone to determine the surface wind and descending, about 20 feet above ground level, the helicopter encountered a wind gust. The low rotor horn sounded and the pilot regained rpm, but another wind gust from behind again resulted in a loss of rotor rpm. The pilot said he was too low to recover, so he performed a run-on landing. The helicopter struck an earthen berm and rolled onto its left side, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. The elevation at the accident site was 8,411 feet; the density altitude was calculated to have been 10,059 feet. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.