Robinson R44 N442RP
5 October 2015 · Parkston, South Dakota, United States · Serious injuries
Summary
On 5 October 2015 at about 15:10 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N442RP was involved in an accident near Parkston, South Dakota, United States. 4 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured, 2 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 15:10
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Parkston, South Dakota, United States
- Coordinates
- 43.3833, -97.9817
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N442RP
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2002
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Parkston → Parkston
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN16LA006
People
2 people were seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s decision to take off from a confined area and his failure to adequately compensate for wind conditions during the takeoff, which resulted in collision with obstacles.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The commercial pilot landed the helicopter adjacent to a building and intended to shut down the engine to install the spray system, which was located on a trailer parked next to the helicopter; however, he was then asked to give a ride to 3 company employees. As the helicopter lifted off with the passengers onboard, the pilot reported that a tailwind pushed the helicopter forward and into the trailer and the adjacent building, and that he "did not have time to recover." The pilot reported that there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation and stated that a "less confined" takeoff location "would have been preferred." Given the confined location of the takeoff, it is likely that the pilot did not have adequate space to compensate for the tailwind condition experienced during the takeoff, which resulted in collision with obstacles.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb 2015 | Robinson R44 II | Calexico, California, United States | John Reed Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 15 Apr 2015 | Robinson R44 II | Dunlap, Illinois, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Sep 2015 | Robinson R44 | Foleyet, Canada | Apex Helicopters Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Jun 2015 | Robinson R44-UNDESIGNAT | Timber Creek, Australia, Australia | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 13 Nov 2015 | Robinson R44 II | Alpine, Texas, United States | Concho Aviation LLC | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Sep 2015 | Robinson R44 | Fort Glenn, Alaska, United States | Bering Pacific Ranches, Ltd. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 2015 | Air Tractor AT 401 | Wall, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 27 Feb 2015 | Zenith Acft STOL CH 701 | Marion, South Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2015 | Air Creation CLIPPER 582 | Clark, South Dakota, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 28 May 2015 | Bell 47G 3B 1 | Fort Pierre, South Dakota, United States | Scotts Helicopter Service | No injuries | - |
| 19 Oct 2015 | Cessna 180H | Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 2015 | Robinson R44 II | Forest City, South Dakota, United States | Warner Farm Corp. | No injuries | - |