ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 188090
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| Date: | Sunday 12 June 2016 |
| Time: | 15:30 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N789MR |
| MSN: | 10561 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 1242 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Jonesboro Municipal Airport (KJBR), AR -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Jonesboro, AR (23AR) |
| Jonesboro, AR (23AR) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During the 2 to 3 hours before the accident, a witness saw the commercial pilot drinking from a cup that smelled like alcohol and noticed that he refilled the cup two or three times. He then heard the pilot say that he was going to put on an airshow. The helicopter lifted off at a 45° angle backward and upward, reach an altitude of about 125 ft, and then descend out of sight behind hangars. A postaccident examination revealed that the helicopter's tail contacted the ground behind the hangars resulting in separation of both tail rotor blades. The helicopter then rose above the hangars and began to spin. The helicopter descended again, impacted terrain, and burst into flames. The examination of the wreckage did not reveal evidence of any preimpact anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter. Toxicology testing detected diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine, and elevated levels of ethanol in the pilot's blood and tissues. The pilot was most likely impaired by the combination of ingested alcohol and the use of diphenhydramine, both of which are central nervous system depressants. The impairing effects of the combination of these substances most likely contributed to his decision to fly after drinking alcohol as well as his inability to maintain control of the helicopter.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to his combined use of alcohol and diphenhydramine, which led to his improper decision to fly after drinking alcohol and degraded his ability to maintain control of the helicopter.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?nNumberTxt=789MR
http://aerossurance.com/helicopters/hold-my-beer-r44-crash/
Location
Media:
#OTD in 2016: It will be no revelation that alcohol and piloting are a bad mix. But what would you do if you saw someone drinking for several hours then saying they were going to "put on an airshow"?https://t.co/UJQoIU6tLI pic.twitter.com/fmBvKDjPQF
— Aerossurance (@Aerossurance) June 12, 2021
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Jun-2016 15:19 | Geno | Added |
| 13-Jun-2016 18:16 | Geno | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 27-Jun-2016 14:21 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 27-Jun-2016 14:21 | Aerossurance | Updated [Phase] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:30 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 14-Apr-2018 11:39 | Aerossurance | Updated [Operator, Source, Narrative] |
| 16-Apr-2018 19:31 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Jun-2021 08:35 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative] |
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