Robinson R44 N630ML
24 February 2018 · Woodland, California, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 24 February 2018 at about 13:00 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N630ML, operated by Flying M Air LLC, was involved in an accident near Woodland, California, United States. One person was on board and one 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 13:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Woodland, California, United States
- Coordinates
- 38.5931, -121.8389
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44
- Registration
- N630ML
- Category
- Helicopter
- Year built
- 2005
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Flying M Air LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Davis/Woodland/Winters → Woodland
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Dawn
- NTSB number
- GAA18CA140
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s distraction due to her malfunctioning iPad, which led to her inadvertent forward cyclic application.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that during an early morning flight, the visibility was good, but it was still dark. The helicopter pilot reported that the helicopter climbed to about 300 ft above ground level and she noticed that her iPad was not showing her location. While attempting to fix the iPad, she inadvertently pushed the cyclic forward. She reported that when she re-focused her attention outside the helicopter, impact was imminent, and the helicopter impacted trees. The helicopter came to rest on its left side facing the opposite direction of travel. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and the both rotor systems. The pilot reported in the recommendation section of the National Transportation Board pilot aircraft accident report that the accident could have been prevented by not allowing herself to become distracted during flight. The pilots reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jul 2018 | Robinson R44 | Domecko, Poland | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 26 Jan 2018 | Robinson R44 II | Loveland, Colorado, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 30 Jan 2018 | Robinson R44 | Newport Beach, California, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 17 Jan 2018 | Robinson R44 | Ayers Rock, Australia | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 1 May 2018 | Robinson R44 II | Mabula, South Africa | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 18 Dec 2018 | Robinson R44 | Strykersville, New York, United States | Moog Inc. | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Apr 2018 | Hawley Richard A1B | Lincoln, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 14 Jul 2018 | Cassutt IIIM | Rosamond, California, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 May 2018 | Cessna 182D | Crescent Mills, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Aug 2018 | Champion 7KCAB | Descanso, California, United States | Three Point Partners Inc | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 Dec 2018 | Piper PA28 | Chino, California, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Sep 2018 | Piper PA28 | Van Nuys, California, United States | Airfleet Holdings Llc. | No injuries | - |