History of Flight
On January 19, 2012, at 0901 central standard time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, registration N369TL, collided with trees while maneuvering at low altitude and impacted the Belle Isle salt dome about 12 miles south of Centerville, Louisiana. A fire ensued after impact. Both the pilot and a pilot-rated passenger sustained fatal injuries, and the helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to and operated by CENAC Marine Services, LLC, of Houma, Louisiana, under 14 CFR Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight originated from Houma (KHUM) at 0827. Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter circling at low altitude and the left-seat pilot waving; they heard the impact and saw smoke, then responded with portable fire extinguishers.
Personnel Information
The pilot-in-command, aged 40, occupied the left seat. He held an airline transport pilot certificate with multiple ratings, including rotorcraft-helicopter, and a flight instructor certificate. He had a first-class medical certificate dated June 24, 2011, with no restrictions. Per his employer, he had logged 8,700 total flight hours, with 260 hours in the Robinson R44 (215 as pilot-in-command). His last flight review was in a Beech 350 King Air on December 6, 2011.
The second pilot, aged 43, occupied the right seat. He held a private pilot certificate with a rotorcraft-helicopter rating and a third-class medical certificate dated April 15, 2010, requiring corrective lenses. Per his employer, he had logged 450 total flight hours, mostly in the Bell 47, and 18.9 hours in the Robinson R44, with his last flight on May 5, 2011.
Aircraft Information
N369TL (serial number 11055), a Robinson R44 II, was manufactured on January 16, 2006, and powered by a Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 engine rated at 300 horsepower. The last 100-hour/annual inspection was on March 31, 2011, at a total time of 461.5 hours.
Meteorological Information
METARs reported at Houma (KHUM) at 0850: wind 020° at 3 knots, visibility 6 miles with mist, ceiling 1,800 feet broken, temperature 12°C, dew point 11°C, altimeter 30.15 inHg. At Patterson (KPTN) at 0855: wind 070° at 3 knots, visibility 10 miles, ceiling 2,400 feet overcast, temperature 12°C, dew point 11°C, altimeter 30.14 inHg.
Wreckage and Impact Information
The accident site was at elevation 6 feet msl with a perimeter of about 500 feet. The helicopter struck several trees and descended steeply, coming to rest on its right side after a post-impact fire. The tail boom and tail rotor blades remained attached; main rotor blades had 3-foot stubs. The tail rotor drive shaft was intact and showed continuity when turned by hand. A 2-foot gash in the ground near the main rotor blade was observed. Extensive thermal damage extended from the tail boom forward. All control rods and linkages remained attached to the rotor hub, with overload fractures. The instrument panel was destroyed, but the vertical speed indicator registered a 2,600 feet per minute descent, and the attitude indicator showed a 35° left turn and nose-down attitude. Impact signatures were consistent with a steep descent and the engine operating at impact.
Medical and Pathological Information
Autopsies performed by the Louisiana Forensic Center indicated both pilots died from blunt force injuries. Toxicology tests at FAA's CAMI found that pilot specimens were unsuitable due to putrefaction. The pilot-rated passenger had no carbon monoxide, cyanide, or ethanol in blood, but amlodipine, pravastatin, and valsartan were detected. These are prescription medications for hypertension and cholesterol.
Tests and Research
The engine was examined at Air Salvage of Dallas; intake and exhaust valves were seized due to thermal damage, but no pre-impact anomalies were found that would prevent normal operation. Three servos examined at Robinson Helicopter Company showed thermal damage compromising seals, but no foreign debris or scoring.
Additional Information
A participating FAA inspector, a former U.S. Army helicopter pilot and FAA helicopter pilot examiner, noted what appeared to be a high-velocity impact, large grooves indicating engine power at impact, and a near-vertical descent consistent with “settling with power,” as described in the FAA Helicopter Flying Handbook regarding vortex ring state.