Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Cornwall, NY
On October 10, 2021, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Cornwall, NY. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- October 10, 2021
- Place
- Cornwall, NY
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 41.427°N, 73.986°W
- NTSB ID
- 20211010104078
Official records · ERA22FA010
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn October 10, 2021, at 1357 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R44 II, N637HP, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident in Cornwall, New York. The pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to fueling records, the pilot purchased 24.6 gallons of fuel before his departure from Floyd Bennet Memorial Airport (GFL), Glenn Falls, New York. The flight departed about 1247 with a destination of MacArthur Airport (ISP), Ronkonkoma, New York, where the helicopter was based. According to ADS-B tracking data and National Weather Service (NWS) records, as the helicopter flew south along the Hudson River at an altitude of 1,800 to 1,900 ft above mean sea level (msl), the overcast cloud ceiling height was decreasing. As it passed by Poughkeepsie, NY (POU) at 1349, the ceiling reported there was about 2,364 ft msl. At 1353, about 7 miles further south, the helicopter passed by the Stewart International Airport (SWF) where the ceiling was reported to be about 1,991 ft msl. At 1356, the helicopter began to climb (see figure 1). Figure 1 – Helicopter’s ADS-B-derived flight track (red/green dots) and cloud heights at nearby airports (yellow text) According to NWS weather surveillance radar data, near the time the climb began, the helicopter encountered an area of light intensity echoes that were moving to the north-northwest (see figure 2). Figure 2 – Helicopter’s flight track (magenta) and weather radar base reflectivity at 1357 At 1356:03 while at an altitude of 1,875 ft msl, an
Probable cause
The non-instrument-rated pilot’s continued flight into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
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Browse: New York · 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.
