Robinson R44 II
Bullhead City, AZ — February 3, 2008
Event Information
| Date | February 3, 2008 |
| Event Type | ACC |
| NTSB Number | LAX08CA057 |
| Event ID | 20080226X00235 |
| Location | Bullhead City, AZ |
| Country | USA |
| Coordinates | 35.15722, -114.55945 |
| Airport | LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD INTERNATIONA |
| Highest Injury | NONE |
Aircraft
| Make | Robinson |
| Model | R44 II |
| Category | HELI |
| FAR Part | 091 |
| Aircraft Damage | SUBS |
Conditions
| Light Condition | NITE |
| Weather | VMC |
Injuries
| Fatal | 0 |
| Serious | 0 |
| Minor | 0 |
| None | 2 |
| Total Injured | 0 |
Event Location
Probable Cause
The pilot's misjudged landing flare, inadequate bounced landing recovery, and failure to maintain directional control during a bounced landing that resulted in the tail rotor blades colliding with a hangar. Contributing to the accident was the burned out landing lights.
Full Narrative
The pilot reported that during the night flight, and prior to landing, he discovered that both landing lights were burned out. During the landing, the nose of the right skid contacted the ground and the helicopter bounced back into the air and rotated to the right resulting in the tail rotor striking a hangar. The helicopter rotated about 360 degrees before impacting the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail rotor gearbox attachment point. The pilot reported no other abnormalities with the helicopter prior to the accident.
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.