ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 22743
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: | Saturday 6 September 2008 |
| Time: | 14:15 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 II |
| Owner/operator: | Frezo Financial LLC |
| Registration: | N144SA |
| MSN: | 10786 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2005 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 532 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 17 miles from Marathon, Florida Keys, Monroe County, Florida -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, Miami, Florida (TMB/KTMB) |
| Florida Keys Marathon Airport, Marathon, Florida (MTH/KMTH) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
During a personal flight with three passengers onboard, the pilot decided to examine more closely some fish which the occupants spotted from the helicopter while they were about 320 feet above the water. The pilot turned the helicopter to the right 20 degrees and "settled forward into the wind" for hover at approximately 200 feet. The helicopter however, continued to turn to the right and the pilot was unable to arrest the turn. He then "made the call," to set the helicopter down and inflated the floats. Upon touchdown on the surface of the water the helicopter "flipped to the left" and became partially submerged at a location 17 miles from Marathon, Florida Keys, Monroe County, Florida (at approximate coordinates 24'96.9722"N, 80'90.3611"W).
None of the four occupants (pilot and three passengers) were injured. The helicopter received substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector did not reveal any pre impact malfunctions. At the time of the accident, the helicopter was close to gross weight, the wind was 080 degrees at 5 knots, and the temperature was 31 degrees Celsius.
Probable Cause: The pilot's failure to control the helicopter while maneuvering, resulting in loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
2. FAA Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N144SA
3. https://www.gocivilairpatrol.com/media/cms/REDCAP_mission_4FE0CEDB9CF9F.pdf
4. http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N144SA.html
5. http://www.aviationdb.com/Aviation/Aircraft/1/N144SA.shtm
6. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=49596
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 08-Sep-2008 11:02 | harro | Updated |
| 03-Nov-2009 23:55 | robbreid | Updated |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:14 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:16 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:20 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 03-Dec-2017 12:06 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Nov-2018 17:41 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
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