Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Hackensack, MN
On November 25, 2011, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Hackensack, MN. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- November 25, 2011
- Place
- Hackensack, MN
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 46.960°N, 94.425°W
- NTSB ID
- 20111130X25004
Official records · CEN12FA091
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On November 24, 2011, approximately 1830 central standard time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, N821JV, sustained substantial damage when it impacted water while maneuvering near Hackensack, Minnesota. The private pilot was fatally injured as a result of the accident sequence, and the passenger sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to Four Winds Leasing, LLC, Walker, Minnesota, and operated by the pilot. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and a flight plan was not filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The flight departed Alexandria, Minnesota, at an unknown time. According to the passenger, she and her husband were returning from Alexandria after celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. The pilot was maneuvering the helicopter for a landing near his residence, which was located on a lake, where he was going to drop off his wife and then fly to his hangar at his office. Prior to the landing, the pilot decided to maneuver the helicopter into a low hover over the lake approximately 200 yards from shore. The passenger was not sure why the pilot decided to do that maneuver before landing. While in the low hover over the water, the passenger saw a yellow/orange flash and water splash on the windscreen. The helicopter yawed to the right and went into the water. The pilot and passenger exited the helicopter, and the passenger was able to swim to shore. The pilot was found the following day by divers approximately 75 feet in front of the helicopter. PERSONNEL INFORMATION The pilot held a private pilot certificat
Probable cause
The helicopter's sudden yaw and subsequent impact with the water for reasons that could not be determined during postaccident examination of the helicopter and its systems.
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Browse: Minnesota · 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.
