Robinson R44 Rolls Over at North Perry Airport, 4 Injured

A Robinson R44 Raven I helicopter, registration N336SG, was substantially damaged June 13 after a dynamic rollover at North Perry Airport (HWO) near Hollywood, Florida. The accident occurred at approximately 1:18 p.m. EDT during a sightseeing flight conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The pilot and three passengers sustained minor injuries; there were no fatalities.

The pilot reported the flight was the second of the day and that the aircraft appeared to be functioning normally prior to lifting into a hover. The helicopter subsequently drifted left, and when the pilot applied right cyclic to correct the drift, the aircraft drifted sharply to the right, causing the right skid to contact the ground. Investigators noted the aircraft exceeded its critical roll angle — the threshold at which dynamic rollover becomes unrecoverable — before the helicopter struck a parked aircraft and came to rest on its right side.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation. The pilot reported no pre-accident mechanical failures during the previous flight of the day. The wreckage has been secured pending further examination by NTSB investigators.