ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 220449
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| Date: | Wednesday 2 January 2019 |
| Time: | 11:20 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven I |
| Owner/operator: | Sarasota Helicopter Services Llc |
| Registration: | N772MG |
| MSN: | 2397 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2015 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 228 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-540-F1B5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | off the coast of Anna Maria Island, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Sarasota, FL (FA22) |
| Sarasota-Bradenton Airport, FL (SRQ/KSRQ) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot reported that, while making a video of a boat, he flew the helicopter with the doors removed about 20 ft above the water and 3/4 mile offshore and saw seabirds ahead crossing right to left but he thought they would be not be a problem. Shortly after seeing the birds, he initiated a right turn to follow the boat, and while he was looking over his right shoulder, he felt an object, which he believed was a seabird, strike him in the back of the head. While dazed from the head strike, he flared to reduce speed, and the helicopter settled into the water. He then applied left lateral cyclic to stop the main rotor blade's rotation, and the helicopter rolled left and inverted in the water.
The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and main rotor blades.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable Cause: The pilot's loss of helicopter control while maneuvering at a low altitude after being struck in the head by a bird.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
https://fr.flightaware.com/resources/registration/N772MG
Location
Images:
Photo: FAA
Media:
https://twitter.com/imascarenas/status/1080542342958981120?s=21Our Marine Patrol continues to assist @USCGSoutheast Station St. Petersburg, @MyFWC & @ManateeSheriff with a helicopter crash approximately 1/2 mile offshore. 3 passengers were rescued with non-life threatening injuries. pic.twitter.com/XjxZXAR4L8
— SarasotaPD (@SarasotaPD) January 2, 2019
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 02-Jan-2019 17:14 | gerard57 | Added |
| 02-Jan-2019 18:36 | Aerossurance | Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Jan-2019 18:38 | Aerossurance | Updated [Nature, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Jan-2019 18:39 | Aerossurance | Updated [Embed code] |
| 02-Jan-2019 20:09 | Anon. | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Nature, Embed code] |
| 02-Jan-2019 20:50 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Source] |
| 03-Jan-2019 01:17 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 04-Jan-2019 08:36 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 08-Jan-2019 21:40 | Aerossurance | Updated [Source] |
| 10-Mar-2020 09:41 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Damage, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 10-Mar-2020 09:59 | harro | Updated [Destination airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative, Photo, Accident report, ] |
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