ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 17856
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: | Thursday 15 May 2008 |
| Time: | 16:40 |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 Raven II |
| Owner/operator: | Polk Co Sheriff's Office |
| Registration: | N911GJ |
| MSN: | 11054 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2006 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 817 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming IO-540-AEI A5 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Lake Wales Airport, Polk County, FL -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Bartow Airport, FL (BOW/KBOW) |
| Lake Wales Airport, Polk County, Florida (FAA LID:X07) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On May 15, 2008, at 16:40 EDT (Eastern Daylight Time), a Robinson R44 II, N911GJ, operated by the Polk County, Florida, Sheriffs Office, was substantially damaged during a practice autorotation at Lake Wales Municipal Airport (X07), Lake Wales, Florida. The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and the certificated commercial pilot sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the public use training flight which departed Bartow Municipal Airport (BOW), Bartow, Florida, approximately 1 hour earlier.
According to the CFI, he was demonstrating an autorotation to runway 6, which he entered at "800 feet indicated and at zero airspeed." He lowered the nose of the helicopter and attained a 60-knot descent with a rotor rpm of 95 percent. At 40 feet above the ground (agl), he began a flare and began "rolling throttle on." At 8 feet agl, he raised the collective; however, the helicopter impacted the runway in a level attitude, bounced, landed again, and rolled onto its left side.
According to the commercial pilot, the rotor and engine rpm remained at the "low end" of the green (normal) range during the autorotation. Approximately 500 feet agl, the CFI started to decelerate the helicopter, and approximately 40 feet agl, he began to add power as the rotor rpm began decreasing. The helicopter continued its descent, and impacted the runway in a level attitude. It then bounced, veered to the right, and rolled over on its left side.
The CFI reported 6,766 hours of flight experience as pilot in command in rotorcraft, 300 hours in make and model, 60 hours of flight experience within the 90 days preceding the accident flight, and 1,500 hours of flight time as a CFI.
The helicopter was piloted by Chief Pilot Greg Love, 48, and Deputy Brian Bolton, 39, was his passenger, according to the sheriff's office. They were undertaking training for emergency procedures
The reported weather at BOW, located approximately 8 miles from the accident site, at 16:50 EDT, included variable winds at 5 knots, visibility 8 miles, lowest cloud layer at 25,000 feet, temperature 31 degrees Celsius (C), dew point 12 degrees C, and an altimeter setting of 30.02 inches of mercury.
According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the helicopter came to rest, on its left side at the approach end of runway 6. All major components were accounted for at the scene, and flight control continuity was confirmed from the cockpit to all flight control surfaces. No pre-impact mechanical anomalies were noted by either the pilots or the FAA inspector
The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be: The pilot's improper recovery from a practice autorotation.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. NTSB Identification: NYC08TA183 at https://www.ntsb.gov/about/employment/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief2.aspx?ev_id=20080609X00811&ntsbno=NYC08TA183&akey=1
2. FAA Registration: https://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?omni=Home-N-Number&nNumberTxt=N911GJ
3. https://www.tbo.com/news/news/2008/may/15/2-polk-county-sheriffs-pilots-survive-copter-crash-ar-145774/
4. http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000173811.html
5. https://www.airliners.net/photo/Polk-County-Sheriffs-Office/Robinson-R-44-Police/1190682
6. https://abpic.co.uk/pictures/view/1086466
7. http://www.policeaviationnews.com/Acrobat/PANewsJune2010.pdf page 26
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-May-2008 11:44 | Fusko | Added |
| 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 10:49 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Nov-2018 01:58 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-May-2023 01:20 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Time, Other fatalities, Location, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, 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