Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II N144DZ accident near Belgium, Wisconsin

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter while landing in gusting wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was trying to land the helicopter in a confined area, between trees, a house, and a beach wall. The helicopter touched down on a slight hump that was concealed by grass and started to slide backwards. The pilot pulled up on the collective, and the helicopter lifted off again rapidly. The pilot tried to maneuver the helicopter to remain within and land again in the confined area. When the pilot landed again, the helicopter settled down on the front tips of the skids, which then broke at the fuselage down arm attach point. During the postaccident examination of the helicopter, the pilot noted that one of the main rotor blades sustained impact damage consistent with debris being blown up into the rotor during the landing. The pilot did not list any mechanical malfunctions associated with the helicopter during the accident flight. Nearby wind was reported to be out of 350 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 22 knots.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN12LA573 for the full record.