Robinson R44 accident near Drummond, WI
On September 24, 2005, a Robinson R44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Drummond, WI. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- September 24, 2005
- Place
- Drummond, WI
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 46.331°N, 91.249°W
- NTSB ID
- 20051003X01564
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On September 24, 2005, about 1105 central daylight time, a Robinson R44, N9158U, operated by Midstate Aviation Inc. (Midstate Helicopters Inc.), received substantial damage on impact with a power line and Hammil Lake, near Drummond, Wisconsin, while providing rides during a Fall festival at Cable, Wisconsin. Visual meteorological conditions were recorded at the time of the accident. The 14 CFR Part 91 revenue sightseeing flight was not operating on a flight plan. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The local flight departed about 1100. A witness stated that he was walking with his father in a field when he heard the helicopter that was working the Fall festival. He heard the pitch of the helicopter change, the rpm increase, and then heard a muffled crash after which he no longer heard the helicopter rotor. The pitch change lasted for 1-2 seconds. He did not hear any sputtering of the engine. It sounded like it hit water, but he added that he never heard a helicopter crash before. He talked to fishermen at Hammil Lake who said they didn't see anything. He then took their boat and went down the lake where he saw debris and a downed power line. He first saw cushions on the lake surface and then debris protruding from the water surface. He said that the debris was actually one of the helicopter's fuel tanks, which smelled like fuel. The witness stated that the weather was cloudy, foggy, and misty. There was no ground fog. He stated that when he was on Lake Hammil, it was gray. The clouds were about 1,000 feet above the ground and visibility was
Probable cause
Clearance not obtained/maintained by the pilot during an unknown phase of flight. Contributing factors were the improper use of procedures by the pilot, the inadequate surveillance of the operation by company/management, and the wire.
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Browse: Wisconsin · Robinson aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
