Robinson R44 II accident near Minden, NV
On February 7, 2006, a Robinson R44 II (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Minden, NV. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 7, 2006
- Place
- Minden, NV
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 38.969°N, 119.822°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060209X00187
NTSB summary
1.1 History of the Flight On February 7, 2006, at 0802 Pacific standard time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, N447SH, collided with terrain and burned approximately 3 miles west of the Minden-Tahoe Airport, Minden, Nevada. The pilot was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 CFR Part 91. The helicopter was registered to DRACOR. The private pilot, the sole occupant, sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was destroyed in the post-impact fire. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed. The pilot departed from Minden about 0755. According to the assistant manager of the Minden airport, the helicopter was based at Minden. The pilot also owned two airplanes, and used the helicopter to commute between his home and the airport. The helicopter was always stored overnight in a hangar at the airport, unless it had been repositioned to the pilot's house. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) accident coordinator interviewed a friend of the pilot following the accident. The pilot's friend indicated that they had flown from Minden to the Madera, California area in the days leading up to the accident, and had returned to Minden the previous day. Due to poor weather conditions, they were unable to land at the pilot's home so they landed at Minden. The pilot was repositioning the helicopter to his home when the accident occurred. Repeated attempts by the National Transportation Safety Board investigator to contact the pilot's friend were unsuccessful. 1.1.1 Witness Information A witness was standing in her home and watched the helicopter
Probable cause
The divergence of the main rotor from its normal plane of rotation for an undetermined reason, which resulted in main rotor/tail boom contact and loss of control.
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Browse: Nevada · 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.
