Princeton, KY, USA
N512RT
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
Before takeoff to spray a nearby cornfield, the helicopter was filled with about 50 gallons of spraying solution and a passenger was onboard to assist the pilot with the navigation system. According to the pilot, shortly after takeoff, the low rotor rpm warning light illuminated, and the helicopter “just wouldn’t fly.” The pilot was unable to stay aloft and made a hard landing in a field. An examination of the helicopter revealed substantial damage to the airframe and partial separation of the tail boom. Examination of the engine and its components revealed no anomalies that would have resulted in a loss of power. The helicopter’s estimated takeoff weight was 2,641.4 lbs., which was 141.4 lbs. over its maximum gross weight of 2,500 lbs. After the accident, the pilot told his spouse that he knew the helicopter was “barely overweight but felt it would be fine.” Given that no mechanical anomalies were found, it is likely that the loss of rotor rpm was the result of operating the helicopter in an overweight condition.
On July 16, 2021, about 1330 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R44, N512RT, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Princeton, Kentucky. The commercial pilot received serious injuries, and the pilot-rated passenger received minor injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 aerial application flight. According to the pilot, the purpose of the flight was to spray a nearby cornfield. He reported that they were having a problem with the agricultural mapping and navigation system installed in the helicopter, so the passenger, who was also an aerial application pilot, was onboard to assist with the operation of the system. They had flown two loads without incident. The pilot reported that they took off on the third load, and “after about a couple of hundred yards,” the low rotor rpm warning light illuminated. Prior to takeoff, the helicopter was filled with about 50 gallons of spraying solution. They knew it was barely overweight but felt it would be fine. After the accident, the pilot told his wife that “the helicopter just wouldn't fly, and he was getting a low rotor rpm light.” As the pilot maneuvered the helicopter for landing, the left spray boom contacted trees, and the helicopter landed hard, bounced, and rolled onto its left side. The passenger exited the helicopter and assisted the pilot in getting out. According to the pilot’s wife, after the accident, the pilot told her that before takeoff, the helicopter was filled with about 50 gallons of spraying solution. She stated that the pilot told her he “knew it was barely overweight but felt it would be fine.” She further stated that the pilot told her that “the helicopter just wouldn't fly.” Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the airframe and partial separation of the tail boom. An examination was conducted on the engine and its components. No anomalies were noted during the examination. The maximum gross weight for the helicopter was 2,500 lbs. A weight and balance calculation revealed that the helicopter’s estimated weight at the time of the accident was 2,641.4 lbs.
The pilot’s inadequate preflight planning in that he failed to accurately determine the takeoff weight of the helicopter, which resulted in exceeding the helicopter’s maximum weight capability.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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