Summary
On May 25, 2009, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (N47GT) was involved in an incident near Meredith, NH. All 4 people aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The pilot’s failure to maintain control during landing.
The pilot stated that with three passengers, he departed from a dock on his property to conduct a local flight. After 1 hour, he returned to the same dock for landing. The approach was normal, but when the pilot came to a 2- to 3-foot hover above the dock the helicopter “dropped violently onto its skids.” The helicopter then began sliding backward with the tail down towards the water. He applied power in an attempt to bring the helicopter to a hover, but then it rolled onto its left side and slid rearward into the water. The rotor, airframe, transmission, engine, and avionics incurred damage.
This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA09CA337. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N47GT.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot’s failure to maintain control during landing.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
The pilot stated that with three passengers, he departed from a dock on his property to conduct a local flight. After 1 hour, he returned to the same dock for landing. The approach was normal, but when the pilot came to a 2- to 3-foot hover above the dock the helicopter “dropped violently onto its skids.” The helicopter then began sliding backward with the tail down towards the water. He applied power in an attempt to bring the helicopter to a hover, but then it rolled onto its left side and slid rearward into the water. The rotor, airframe, transmission, engine, and avionics incurred damage. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical abnormalities present with the helicopter prior to the flight, and did not report after the accident experiencing any prior to the initiation of the accident sequence.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA09CA337