N721BB – ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II – 2010-07-19 NTSB Accident Report

On July 19, 2010, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (N721BB) was involved in an incident near Shreveport, LA. All 1 person aboard were uninjured. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this incident to be: The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during takeoff, resulting in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and a subsequent hard landing.

According to a written statement provided by the student pilot, he was practicing "sit downs and pick ups" to a grass field. The helicopter "sat down" uneventfully and the student pilot reduced power to chat with a friend. Shortly thereafter, the student pilot added power, ensured all engine instruments were in the green, and attempted a takeoff. The student pilot detected a tailwind and applied left pedal correction; however, the helicopter yawed to the right one full rotation before the student pilot was able to set the helicopter back down. During the hard landing the horizontal stabilizer was bent, both tail rotor blades were damaged, the tail boom was wrinkled, and the fuselage was wrinkled on the right side.

This incident is documented in NTSB report CEN10CA417. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N721BB.