ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 217368
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Sunday 19 July 2009 |
| Time: | 08:40 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 II |
| Owner/operator: | Advanced Helicopter Concepts |
| Registration: | N25VH |
| MSN: | 10308 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2004 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 898 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Near Silver Spring, West Hempfield, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Frederick Municipal Airport, Frederick, Maryland (FDK/KFDK) |
| Lancaster Airport, Lancaster, Pennsylvania (LNS/KLNS) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On July 19, 2009, about 08:40 EDT (Eastern Daylight Time), a Robinson R44 II helicopter, N25VH, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Silver Spring, West Hempfield Township, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. (At approximate coordinates 40'07.1944"N, 76'43.1944"W). The student pilot, the sole person on board, was not injured. The instructional flight was operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
According to the pilot, she departed Frederick Municipal Airport (FDK), Frederick, Maryland, about 07:45 EDT, with an intended destination of Lancaster Airport (LNS), Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The pilot reported that she conducted the cruise portion of the flight at an altitude of 3,000 feet above mean sea level (msl), at an airspeed of approximately 110 knots. After she established communications with the LNS air traffic control tower, and was getting ready to begin her descent to the airport, the pilot noticed that the vertical speed indicator was indicating a descent of approximately 1,000 feet per minute, and that the airspeed was approximately 120 knots. The pilot manipulated the collective, cyclic and throttle in an effort to reduce or stop the descent, but the helicopter did not respond as the pilot expected, and the descent continued. She determined that she would not be able to reach LNS, and selected a field suitable for a landing. Despite the fact that the engine was operating, the pilot stated that she conducted an autorotation. The helicopter landed hard in a soybean field, and remained upright. The engine continued to run after touchdown, and the pilot shut it down using normal shutdown procedures.
According to information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector who responded to the accident, the helicopter landed approximately 8 miles west-southwest of LNS. The landing skids were deformed upwards, and the right side and underside of the fuselage were buckled. One engine mount was deformed, and another one was fractured. The remainder of the structure appeared intact. A fuel sample was obtained; the fuel was clear and bright, with no visible contamination. Control checks resulted in full control travel, with no binding or obstruction. On-scene examination of the helicopter did not reveal any pre-impact failures or anomalies that could have resulted in an inability to maintain altitude. The main rotor blades, tail rotor assembly, and tail boom were removed for transport, and the helicopter was recovered to a secure facility.
The insurer of the helicopter determined that it was damaged beyond economical repair, and subsequent to follow-up examinations and tests, the helicopter was disassembled and parted out. The registration N25VH was accordingly cancelled by the FAA on April 28, 2010.
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The student pilot's inability to fully control the helicopter, during cruise and the resultant off-field hard landing.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
2. FAA Regstration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N25VH
3. http://helihub.com/2009/07/19/19-jul-09-n25vh-robinson-r44-lancaster-us-pennsylvania/
4. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=50538
5. https://uk.flightaware.com/photos/view/269247-50765be1a15b6612a1e4dd53664f1bf05b3cb770/aircrafttype/R22
6. https://prijet.com/owner/N25VH%20LLC
7. https://planecrashmap.com/list/pa/
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Spring,_Pennsylvania
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Nov-2018 15:25 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation