Robinson R44 accident near Two Harbors, CA
On June 18, 2019, a Robinson R44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Two Harbors, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 18, 2019
- Place
- Two Harbors, CA
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 33.463°N, 118.575°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190618X62612
Official records · WPR19FA175
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 17, 2019, about 1713 Pacific daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, N7187D, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Two Harbors, Santa Catalina Island, California. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Alert Notice (ALNOT) for the accident helicopter when a family member reported that the pilot had failed to return as planned. Local law enforcement commenced search and rescue operations throughout the northern area of Santa Catalina Island and the wreckage was located the following morning. Review of radar data revealed that the pilot departed from John Wayne/Orange County Airport (SNA), Santa Ana, California, at 1632, and flew toward Zamperini Field Airport (TOA), Torrance, California, where he flew once around the airport traffic pattern. He then continued in a southwest direction toward Santa Catalina Island while gradually climbing to 1,900 ft mean sea level (msl) and maintaining a speed of about 110 knots (+/- 5 knots). The data did not reveal any extreme changes in pitch, bank, or airspeed. At 1710, the helicopter started a slow descent to about 1,700 ft while maintaining about 110 knots. The last radar return, at 1713, depicted the helicopter at 1,475 ft msl (about 375 ft above ground level) and 117 knots. A first responder who arrived at the accident site by helicopter the morning after the accident reported that the sky was overcast with a low ceiling and low visibility. He also stated
Probable cause
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
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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.
