Robinson R44 II N744RB

Summary

On 20 August 2021 at about 08:40 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N744RB was involved in an accident near New Roads, Louisiana, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 August 2021 at 08:40

Classification

Accident

Location

New Roads, Louisiana, United States

Coordinates

30.7255, -91.3540

Aircraft

Robinson R44 II

Registration

N744RB

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Lafayette → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Night

NTSB number

CEN21LA385

Nobody was injured.

A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined due to a lack of available evidence.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot was conducting a night cross country flight in his single-engine helicopter to evaluate the progress of some construction projects. As he approached the landing area, he noticed some loose construction debris, so he flew past the site and turned around to approach from the opposite direction. Shortly thereafter, the engine began losing power. Unable to maintain level flight he conducted an emergency landing to a river. By the time he was rescued, about 11 hours after the accident, the helicopter had sunk and was not located despite an extensive search by local law enforcement. Given that the wreckage was not recovered, an examination of the engine to determine a reason for the loss of power could not be performed.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.