ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 191418
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| Date: | Friday 18 November 2016 |
| Time: | 12:44 LT |
| Type: |  Robinson R44 II |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | VH-ZNZ |
| MSN: | 11954 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2007 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Mount Windsor NP, Daintree, QLD -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Non-Scheduled/charter/Air Taxi |
| Departure airport: | Cardwell |
| Weipa YBWP | |
| Investigating agency: | ATSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
The Robinson R44 II helicopter, registered VH-ZNZ, broke-up in the Mount Windsor National Park, about 41 km north-west of Mossman, Queensland. The helicopter was on a charter flight with one pilot and one passenger on board. Following impact with the ground, the passenger was fatally injured and the pilot was seriously injured. The helicopter was destroyed.
The ATSB found that one of the main rotor blades struck and separated a section of the tailcone of the helicopter from the airframe, which resulted in a near vertical descent of the helicopter main body through the forest canopy. The wreckage indicated there was low engine power and rotor speed at the time of the strike, which was likely the result of a main rotor blade stall event. The ATSB was unable to determine what precipitated the blade stall event.
The ATSB also found that the helicopter was likely operating in at least moderate turbulent flight conditions, which were not forecast. The turbulence was associated with a wind strength of 15‑25 kt in undulating terrain at a high density altitude (reduction in ambient air density). The Pilot Operating Handbook did not prohibit flight in either the forecast or actual conditions, but the presence of moderate turbulence potentially placed the helicopter in an environment for which it had not been flight tested.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/11/18/pilot-survives-north-qld-helicopter-crash_
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/large-scale-search-after-reports-of-helicopter-crash-in-far-north-queensland-20161118-gssldd.html
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-18/authorities-return-helicopter-crash-far-north-qld/8038462
http://www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/aerial-search-under-way-for-helicopter-missing-at-daintree/news-story/fdddb991c6cc5466fc2da3bf5dbf4298
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Nov-2016 08:27 | gerard57 | Added |
| 18-Nov-2016 08:34 | gerard57 | Updated [Aircraft type, Source] |
| 18-Nov-2016 11:24 | Kardz | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 18-Nov-2016 12:34 | Kardz | Updated [Location, Narrative] |
| 19-Nov-2016 08:08 | Geo | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Mar-2019 15:18 | harro | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Narrative, Accident report, ] |
| 08-Jun-2022 08:06 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 24-Jul-2023 19:12 | harro | Updated [[Location]] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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