Accident Overview
On April 3, 2021, at approximately 1630 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R66 helicopter, N577DD, was substantially damaged in an accident in Palmyra, Pennsylvania. The pilot sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was being operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Pre-Accident Events
The pilot had picked up the helicopter at Fredrick Municipal Airport (FDK) in Fredrick, Maryland, following the completion of an annual inspection. He then flew to Double D Ranch Heliport (70PA) in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, to retrieve a package for delivery in the Hershey area. Subsequently, he flew directly to Reigle Field Airport (58N) in Palmyra.
While en route, he obtained weather information. Upon arriving at 58N, he entered the traffic pattern for runway 31, intending to land on the grass area just east of that runway. According to the pilot, during touchdown on a slight downhill slope, he felt a dynamic rollover beginning. He pulled up on the collective control stick, but his right foot slipped off the right tail rotor control pedal and became stuck behind it. The helicopter entered a left turn from a low hover and impacted the ground.
Witness Accounts
A neighbor near 70PA reported that before the accident flight, the pilot flew low over his house, estimated at less than 20 feet above the roof, and then landed quickly in the pilot’s backyard. The neighbor noted such behavior was unusual.
At 58N, a witness working at the airport observed the helicopter approaching closer to her office than ever before, appearing "really wobbly." It bounced gently off the ground, rose quickly, performed a tailspin, and crashed away from the building. Another witness in a vehicle saw the helicopter’s nose drop, the main rotor strike the ground, and the helicopter crash. This witness assisted the pilot, who was disoriented and in shock, with a forehead gash and right arm laceration. The witness detected smoke from the engine compartment and fuel leaking from the tail. After moving away, the witness noticed the pilot holding a pill bottle; the pilot opened it and poured two pills into his hand, though ingestion was not observed. A police officer later helped the pilot to an ambulance.
Two additional witnesses reported the pilot discarding pills from a bottle. One witness retrieved two pills bearing the inscription "n352," later identified as acetaminophen and hydrocodone bitartrate 300mg/7.5mg.
Wreckage and Data Examination
A track log from a portable GPS unit on board confirmed the helicopter’s route, including the approach to 58N, descent, and turn toward the grass area, ending at the accident site. Engine monitoring data showed marked increases in N1 and N2 parameters during the accident event. Examination of the wreckage revealed substantial damage but no preimpact failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation.
Pilot Medical Information
The 68-year-old male pilot had last applied for a medical certificate on May 9, 2015, reporting a broken pelvis (surgery), high cholesterol, and low testosterone. He used fenofibrate and topical testosterone, which are not considered impairing. He was issued a third-class medical certificate without limitations. That certificate expired on May 31, 2017. The pilot subsequently completed BasicMed requirements as of November 15, 2019.
Following the accident, hospital records showed the pilot reported arthritis with chronic low back pain, obstructive sleep apnea (treated with CPAP), high blood pressure, high cholesterol, a prior pulmonary embolism (2017), and chronic kidney disease. He reported using Vicodin, apixaban, fenofibrate, nasal fluticasone, and hydrochlorothiazide. A clinical urine drug screen identified opiates. A search of the Pennsylvania Prescription Drug Monitoring Program found no record of a Vicodin prescription for the pilot.
Toxicology Results
FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory tests on leftover blood and urine specimens identified hydrocodone (38 ng/ml in blood) and its active metabolites, as well as cyclobenzaprine (24 ng/ml in blood) and its metabolite. Also detected were metoprolol, naproxen, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. Vicodin, containing acetaminophen and hydrocodone, is a Schedule II controlled substance with warnings against operating machinery. Blood levels of 10 to 50 ng/ml are associated with effects in novice users; the pilot’s level was 38 ng/ml. Cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant, causes drowsiness and impairs hazardous tasks; effects are expected at 5 to 40 ng/ml, with the pilot’s level at 24 ng/ml.