Pilot Debrief

ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II near West Valley City, UT — 2009-01-09

Final reportWPR09FA076
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Date
2009-01-09
Location
West Valley City, UT, USA
Aircraft
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
Registration
N168SH
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Cruise

Probable cause

The pilot’s inadvertent VFR flight into IMC conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and loss of control of the helicopter. Also causal was the flight instructor’s delay in taking remedial action.

NTSB narrative

The pilot and the instructor reported that the flight began as an instrument flight rules (IFR) cross-country training flight. After encountering turbulence and head winds, they elected to terminate the IFR flight plan about 10 miles from their intended destination, reverse course, and return under night visual flight rules (VFR). The instructor stated that on the return trip, he was not instructing the pilot and was "just a passenger." During the return trip, they made an intermediate stop and refueled the helicopter. The weather conditions on departure from the refueling stop were winds light and variable, visibility 4 miles, and ceiling about 2,000 feet above ground level (6,321 feet mean sea level [msl]). About 15 minutes into the flight, the helicopter was at about 6,100 feet msl when it entered clouds and the pilot lost visual contact with the ground. The instructor reported that the pilot "became quickly disoriented losing positive control of the aircraft." The pilot reported that the helicopter entered the clouds and "began to rotate immediately." The flight instructor took the controls and attempted to regain control of the helicopter, but was unable to do so before the helicopter impacted the ground.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Spatial disorientation
First missed decision gate
Pilot should have maintained IFR instead of switching to VFR in deteriorating weather.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

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

Docket documents15

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