Robinson R44 accident near East Troy, WI
On May 13, 2006, a Robinson R44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near East Troy, WI. 4 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 13, 2006
- Place
- East Troy, WI
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 4 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 42.797°N, 88.373°W
- NTSB ID
- 20060523X00612
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 13, 2006, about 1045 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 Astro helicopter, N442GS, operated by WW Helicopters LLC, and piloted by a commercial pilot, was substantially damaged when it struck a pole during takeoff at the East Troy Municipal Airport (57C), East Troy, Wisconsin. The 14 CFR Part 91 sightseeing flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The pilot and three passengers received serious injuries. One passenger received minor injuries. The local flight was originating at the time of the accident. The pilot reported that he started to lift off to a hover and the helicopter "bolted forward." He stated that attempted to stop the forward movement and at the same time tried to avoid the hangar and the "weather pole" by the hangar. He stated that the main rotor blades struck the pole, "which brought the helicopter down." A witness to the accident reported that the helicopter took off from the blacktop taxiway that runs in front of the operator's hangar. He reported that the helicopter lifted off, struck a "windsock/radio antenna" pole located adjacent to the hangar, and then crashed to the ground next to the hangar. Another witness reported that the helicopter lifted off of the ground with the left skid low. He stated that as it gained altitude, the nose pitched down and the helicopter began accelerating forward. He stated that as the helicopter approached the building it turned to the left and then he heard it hit the pole. The witness did not see the impact. According to police reports, a child was ejected
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to calculate the weight and balance of the helicopter prior to flight, his failure to recognize and correct the forward center of gravity condition and his failure to abort the takeoff. A factors was the pilot's improper decision to conduct the flight without seatbelts available for all passengers.
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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.
