Pilot Debrief

ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II near South Kingstown, RI — 2024-04-09

Final reportERA24LA171
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Date
2024-04-09
Location
South Kingstown, RI, USA
Aircraft
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
Registration
N331EL
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the water while maneuvering at low altitude.

NTSB narrative

The pilot was practicing various flight profiles over a pond in his helicopter. After completing the first profile, he began a profile that included a normal takeoff, a 10-ft hover, an acceleration to 40 kts, a climb to 50 ft above ground level, then a return to a 10-ft hover. On the pilot’s second attempt at this maneuver, when decelerating and descending back down to a 10 ft hover, the helicopter descended too low. The front skids caught the water and the helicopter descended into the pond, substantially damaging the tail rotor assembly and the main rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. He also described that the weather and water conditions at the time of the accident were “calm and clear with no wind ripples on the water surface,” and that this produced a “mirroring effect” that hindered his depth perception.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Photos
  • 2 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents2

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