ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 76076
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| Date: | Monday 2 August 2010 |
| Time: | 19:00 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | N34JS |
| MSN: | 11376 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 299 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Blood Mountain, Lumpkin County, 15 miles from Blairsville, Georgia -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Madison Municipal Airport, Madison, Georgia (FAA LID: 52A) |
| Brasstown Valley Resort, Young Harris, Georgia. | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On August 2, 2010, about 19:00 EDT (Eastern Daylight Time), a Robinson R44 helicopter, N34JS, was substantially damaged when it collided with mountainous terrain while maneuvering near Blood Mountain, Lumpkin County, 15 miles from Blairsville, Georgia (at approximate coordinates 34'71.7500"N, 83'92.0278"W). The certificated private pilot and passenger were fatally injured. Instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) prevailed around the accident site, and no flight plan was filed for the flight which departed Madison Municipal Airport (52A), Madison, Georgia, about 18:30 EDT, and was destined for the Brasstown Valley Resort, Young Harris, Georgia. The personal flight was conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The flight originated from West Palm Beach, Florida, early on the morning of the accident date. According to fuel receipts, fuel was purchased for the accident helicopter at 18:09 EDT, at Madison (52A). In a telephone interview, the airport manager said that the pilot purchased fuel, advised the resort by telephone of his pending arrival, boarded the helicopter and departed. When the helicopter did not arrive as expected, a search was initiated, and an Alert Notice (ALNOT) was issued on August 4, 2010. The wreckage was located from the air by the Civil Air Patrol on August 6, 2010.
In a telephone interview, a friend of the pilot stated that the purpose of the flight was to attend a motorcycle racing event in Georgia. The friend owned the Robinson Helicopter sales and service center where the pilot/owner of the accident helicopter purchased and maintained his helicopter. He said the pilot had asked him to go along on the trip, but he couldn't due to a prior commitment. According to the friend, "He asked me to go and I told him, 'You really need mountain experience before you go.' I gave him a few pointers, but there was no talking him out of it. He called me Monday morning (August 2, 2010) or Sunday and asked me a few more questions about flying through the mountains. He didn't give me the route of flight. I just knew he was going to the motocross nationals."
In a telephone interview, a witness who lived about 8 miles south of the accident site stated that she heard a small helicopter approach her house and went outside to watch, as she "loved" airplanes and helicopters. She said she was unable to see the helicopter as it passed, because her view was blocked by trees. She said the helicopter passed by between 18:00 and 19:00 EDT, and that the sound of the helicopter was smooth and continuous.
The helicopter was examined at the site on August 7, 2010, and all major components were accounted for at the scene. The accident site was located on steep, mountainous, heavily wooded terrain, about 3,100 feet elevation, below the peak of Blood Mountain, which rose to 4,436 feet elevation. The initial impact points were in trees that stood about 6 feet apart, and were perpendicular to the direction of flight. The scars on the trees were consistent with a 200-degree direction of flight, approximately parallel with the ridge.
The downhill tree displayed a large, almost rectangular scar, about 18 inches tall and 12 inches wide. The uphill tree was scarred at the same elevation, with a deep, horizontal slash about the same dimension as the leading edge of a main rotor blade.
The main rotor hub and blade assembly, with the swashplate and support assembly attached, was located at the base of the first trees struck. One rotor blade was intact but impact damaged. The other blade was fractured and separated about 5 feet outboard of the hub. The rotor blade fragments, including the tip with tip weight attached, were accounted for farther down the wreckage path.
The initial ground scar was about 30 feet beyond the first tree strikes on a rock slope of about 60 degrees. The fall line was oriented about 090 degrees. The remainder of the helicopter was scattered down slope over a distance of about 170 feet. The tail section, with the vertical fin, tail rotor gear box, tail rotor assembly, and tail rotor driveshaft were about 100 feet below the initial ground scar. These components were impact and fire damaged. One tail rotor blade appeared severely fire-damaged. The skin was intact, but split along the trailing edge, and the core of the blade appeared consumed by fire.
A review of pharmaceutical records revealed that the pilot had filled prescriptions from his psychiatrist for a wide range of anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, sleep, and stimulant medications, as well as heart medication, for years prior to his application for an FAA medical certificate.
Probable Cause: The non-instrument-rated pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
Additional: There was a lawsuit in July 2012 that ensued as a result of this accident (see link #6)...
"WEST PALM BEACH — The husband of a 37-year-old Boynton Beach woman who was killed in a 2010 helicopter crash in Georgia has sued the helicopter maker, and the companies that serviced and sold the aircraft.
In the lawsuit filed last week in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Sasha Zapototsky claims the companies— Robinson Helicopter Co., South Florida Helicopters and The Gates Corp. — are responsible for the death of his wife, Shelley.
The registered nurse died when the helicopter owned and piloted by her boss, Adam Reeves, crashed near Blood Mountain en route from the North County Airport, near Palm Beach Gardens. The 45-year-old Jupiter businessman also died.
The National Transportation Safety Board last year blamed the crash on bad weather and Reeves’ inexperience.
In his lawsuit, Zapototsky says the crash occurred when the helicopter’s rotors lost power. Such problems have contributed to other crashes, the suit claims. None of the companies were immediately available for comment."
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. NTSB Identification: ERA10FA403 at https://www.ntsb.gov/about/employment/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20100806X55641&ntsbno=ERA10FA403&akey=1
2. FAA Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N34JS
3. http://www.kathrynsreport.com/2012/07/robinson-r44-n34js-husband-of-boynton.html
4. http://helihub.com/2010/08/02/02-aug-10-n-robinson-r44-lumpkin-county-us-georgia-1f/
5. http://helicoptersafety.blogspot.com/2010/08/02-aug-10-n34js-robinson-r44.html
6. https://ssristories.org/husband-of-boynton-beach-woman-who-died-in-georgia-helicopter-crash-sues-manufacturer-palm-beach-post/
7. https://www.gainesvilletimes.com/news/helicopter-crash-in-lumpkin-kills-2/
8. https://planecrashmap.com/list/ga/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Mountain
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Aug-2010 23:13 | slowkid | Added |
| 19-Dec-2011 01:26 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Registration, Location, Source] |
| 02-Oct-2014 11:15 | Spitfire | Updated [Cn] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:25 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 26-Nov-2017 18:05 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Nov-2018 18:31 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Nov-2018 18:32 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Aircraft type] |
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