Robinson R44 accident near Alpine, UT
On May 17, 2019, a Robinson R44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Alpine, UT. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 17, 2019
- Place
- Alpine, UT
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 40.502°N, 111.744°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190517X23729
Official records · WPR19FA148
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn May 17, 2019, about 1034 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, N744TW, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Alpine, Utah. The pilot and passenger sustained fatal injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot’s mother stated that the pilot kept the helicopter at his home in Myton, Utah, and that he and his wife had planned to fly to South Valley Regional Airport (U42), West Jordan, Utah, to pick up a second passenger before proceeding to Phoenix, Arizona. She saw the helicopter depart at 0930 and stated that it was raining lightly at that time. At 1022, she received a text message from the passenger stating that they were “17 minutes out.” At 1025, she received a text stating that “the flight was smooth.” At 1027, she received a short video showing the helicopter above a thick cloud layer with no discernable horizon. Some of the cloud tops appeared above the helicopter, as seen in Figure 1. Figure 1. Images recorded by a passenger. Radar data provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed a target correlated to the accident helicopter first appear on radar at 0956 at an altitude of 10,400 ft mean sea level (msl), on a heading of 309° about 44 miles west of the pilot’s residence. The helicopter continued generally on a west-northwest course, as shown in Figure 2. The airspeed initially varied from 37 to 88 knots ground speed but stabilized to about 85 knots for most of the flight. The helicopter climbed to 13,000 ft msl at 1007 an
Probable cause
The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control. Contributing to the accident was hypoxia due to the high altitude at which the pilot chose to conduct the flight combined with the impairing effects of amphetamine use.
More accidents in UT
- Beech A100, Aug 22, 2008
- Swearingen SA-226TC, Jan 15, 1987
- Beech 65-A90, Jan 15, 2001
- Cessna T210L, May 7, 1995
- Gulfstream 690D, May 7, 1986
Browse: Utah · 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.
