ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
Golden, CO — May 8, 2011
Event Information
| Date | May 8, 2011 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | CEN11CA325 |
| Event ID | 20110509X10416 |
| Location | Golden, CO |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 39.73389, -105.24500 |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY |
| Model | R44 II |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | DAYL |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 3 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot’s decision to operate the helicopter at a high density altitude near terrain, which resulted in a settling with power condition.
Full Narrative
The helicopter was following participants in a downhill skateboard race in mountainous terrain. The pilot had just performed a left pedal turn and the helicopter was facing upslope to the mountain. The low rotor warning sounded and the pilot lowered collective and increased throttle. The pilot stated that the engine did not respond so he continued to lower the collective and looked for a place to land. During the forced landing on the down sloping terrain, the helicopter came to rest on its nose resulting in substantial damage to the main rotor, skid tubes, and tail boom. An examination of the helicopter, engine, and systems, conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration, revealed no anomalies. The density altitude was calculated to be 10,600 feet. The pilot calculated the in ground effect hover to be 8,500 feet pressure altitude, the out of ground effect hover to be 5,000 feet pressure altitude, and estimated the gross weight to be 2,320 pounds.
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.