Robinson Helicopter R44 accident near Newport Beach, CA
On January 30, 2018, a Robinson Helicopter R44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Newport Beach, CA. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 30, 2018
- Place
- Newport Beach, CA
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.654°N, 117.871°W
- NTSB ID
- 20180130X82722
Official records · WPR18FA077
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn January 30, 2018, about 1350 Pacific standard time, a Robinson Helicopter R44, N7530R, was destroyed when it impacted houses near Newport Beach, California shortly after takeoff. The private pilot and two of the three passengers sustained fatal injuries, one passenger sustained serious injuries, and one person on the ground sustained minor injuries. The helicopter was registered to Spitzer Helicopter and was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated from John Wayne-Orange County Airport (SNA), Santa Ana, California, about 1 minute before the accident, with an intended destination of Catalina Island, California. The surviving passenger reported that the pilot and all of the passengers met at the pilot's office and planned to fly to Catalina Island for lunch. Following a brief conversation, the pilot drove the passengers to the airport. The passenger stated that, during the drive, the pilot received a phone call during which he appeared to be frustrated. The passenger asked if everything was ok, and the pilot responded everything was fine and he just wanted a different helicopter. Upon arriving at the airport, they all walked to the helicopter and the pilot appeared to conduct a preflight inspection. The passenger recalled that the pilot never asked any of the passengers about their weights, nor did he assign them seats. After all the passengers boarded the helicopter, they put on the headsets and the pilo
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to perform weight and balance calculations before departing on the flight, which resulted in his operation of the helicopter outside of its published weight and balance limitations and a subsequent loss of control shortly after takeoff.
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Browse: California · 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.
