Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II N7527L accident near Natchez, Mississippi

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to complete a preflight weight and balance calculation, which resulted in a center of gravity beyond the forward limit, and adversely affected the helicopter’s controllability during takeoff.

NTSB analysis

The pilot reported that he completed a preflight inspection, then departed on a local personal flight. During the flight, he contacted and invited three people for a local sightseeing flight. He estimated the weights of each passenger and believed the helicopter would be under the maximum gross weight for the passenger flight. The pilot loaded the heaviest passenger up front and the other two in the rear seats. During takeoff, as he applied throttle and collective the helicopter became light on its skids and all engine indications were normal. Immediately after the helicopter became airborne, it pitched nose down and accelerated forward. Despite subsequent control inputs, the pilot was unable to arrest the helicopter’s forward motion and descent, which resulted in the main rotor blade and right skid contacting the ground. The helicopter came to rest on its right side, and the main rotor blades, fuselage, and tailboom were substantially damaged during the accident sequence.

The pilot stated that after the accident he calculated the weight and balance and determined that the helicopter’s center of gravity was beyond the forward limit. He reported that during the flight just prior to picking up the passengers, there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN26LA317 for the full record.