ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 217333
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| Date: | Thursday 25 June 2009 |
| Time: | 15:00 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | Cutting Edge Helicopters |
| Registration: | N515DG |
| MSN: | 11503 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 501 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | approximately 7 miles west-northwest of Lakeport, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Landing |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Ukiah Municipal Airport, Ukiah, California (UKI/KUKI) |
| Sacramento International Airport, Sacramento, California (SMF/KSMF) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On June 25, 2009, at 15:00 PDT (Pacific Daylight Time), a Robinson R44 II, N515DG, landed hard during a forced landing approximately 7 miles west-northwest of Lakeport, California. (At approximate coordinates 39'07.6389"N, 123'03.2222"W). Cutting Edge Helicopters was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. The certified flight instructor (CFI) and private pilot undergoing instruction (PUI) were not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.
The CFI reported that the helicopter had been fuelled to capacity prior to takeoff. They were conducting a 180-degree autorotation with a power recovery. They entered the helicopter into a glide and as they made the turn, the CFI noticed that the oil and auxiliary fuel pump lights were on. The CFI then looked at the tachometer and attempted to increase the throttle. The power did not return so the CFI committed to a landing. During the landing, the main rotor blades impacted the tail boom.
The helicopter and engine were examined following their recovery from the accident site. The spark plugs were removed and examined. Their condition was consistent with normal operation when compared to a Champion Check-A-Plug chart. With the engine still installed on the helicopter and using the original fuel onboard the helicopter, it was powered. The engine test ran and no pre-impact anomalies were identified.
According to Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) Safety Notice SN-38, Practice Autorotations Cause Many Training Accidents, “There have been instances where the engine has quit during practice autorotation. To avoid inadvertent engine stoppage, do not roll the throttle to full idle. Reduce throttle firmly for a small visible needle split, then hold throttle firmly to override governor. Recover immediately if engine is rough or engine RPM continues to drop.”
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: A loss of engine power while maneuvering for undetermined reasons.
Robinson R44 Raven II N515DG was repaired and returned to service: US registration cancelled by the FAA on October 19, 2010 as "sold to Brazil". Re-registered in Brazil as PP-MDC
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
2. FAA Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N515DG
3. http://helihub.com/2009/06/25/25-jun-09-n515dg-robinson-r44-lakeport-us-california/
4. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=50503
5. http://www.helicopterlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/HL-Autumn-2009Archive_Layout-1.pdf page 64
6. https://planecrashmap.com/list/ca/
7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiah_Municipal_Airport
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 05-Nov-2018 23:30 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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