ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44
Woodland, CA — February 24, 2018
Event Information
| Date | February 24, 2018 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | GAA18CA140 |
| Event ID | 20180226X31732 |
| Location | Woodland, CA |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 38.59306, -121.83889 |
| Highest Injury | MINR |
Aircraft
| Make | ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Model | R44 |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAWN |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 1 |
| None | 0 |
| Total Injured | 1 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot’s distraction due to her malfunctioning iPad, which led to her inadvertent forward cyclic application.
Full Narrative
The helicopter pilot reported that during and early morning flight, the visibility was good, but it was still dark.
The helicopter pilot reported that the helicopter climbed to about 300ft 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.
About This NTSB Record
This aviation event was investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB investigates all U.S. civil aviation accidents to determine probable cause and issue safety recommendations to prevent future accidents.