Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II N544SC accident near Cosby, Tennessee

Probable cause

The pilot’s intentional, continued flight into instrument meteorological conditions in a helicopter that was not certified for instrument conditions, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control and a collision with trees and terrain.

NTSB analysis

The pilot was preparing for a cross-country flight in the newly-leased, non-instrument flight rules (IFR) equipped helicopter. Per the lease agreement, he flew in the local traffic pattern to assess the helicopter without incident. The weather reportedly deteriorated during the day, changing from marginal visual flight rules (VFR) conditions to IFR conditions. Local personnel warned him of the hazards of flying through the Smoky Mountains in such conditions; however, the pilot responded, “those are hills” and he had 14 years of mountain flying experience. The pilot subsequently took off with his passenger toward mountainous terrain.

On-board video captured most of the flight and all of the accident sequence, revealing that the pilot proceeded to the east, flying along valleys and roads, as the mountains ahead were obscured in low ceilings. The flight continued as the visibility eventually deteriorated to “zero” and the helicopter entered instrument meteorological conditions. The were no attempts to reverse course to get to better weather. The pilot eventually lost control of the helicopter and crashed into a tree line in a steep descent. The helicopter was substantially damaged, the pilot was seriously injured, and his passenger was fatally injured. The pilot would later report to law enforcement personnel that he remembered losing engine oil pressure and the main rotor began to make a loud noise, so he performed an autorotation; however, with the cloud cover, he could not see.

Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of a malfunction or anomaly that would have precluded normal operation. There was no evidence of a loss of engine oil or oil pressure. The on-board video did not support the pilot’s claims of an inflight loss of oil pressure or a main rotor malfunction, nor did it indicate that an autorotation was performed.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA22FA096 for the full record.