N666SL – ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II – 2010-12-08 NTSB Accident Report

On December 08, 2010, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (N666SL) was involved in an incident near Pahokee, FL. All 2 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 of the helicopter during takeoff.

The pilot stated that he completed the before takeoff checks and got the helicopter "light on the skids" before lifting off from the refueling pad. A slight yaw to the left became a rapid spin to the left that could not be corrected with right-pedal input. The pilot closed the throttle, lowered collective, and closed the mixture control to arrest the spin. On the fourth rotation, the tail struck a pole-mounted fire extinguisher, and the helicopter came to rest upright. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter, and stated that his heavy coat and boots worn to combat the unseasonably cold weather may have interfered with the flight controls.

This incident is documented in NTSB report ERA11CA081. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N666SL.