Accident Overview
On July 19, 2021, about 1848 eastern daylight time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registration N4529J, was destroyed when it impacted the Albemarle Sound near Point Harbor, North Carolina. The non-certificated pilot and passenger were fatally injured. The helicopter was operated by the pilot as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91.
Flight History
Surveillance video at Mecklenburg-Brunswick Regional Airport (AVC) in South Hill, Virginia, showed the helicopter landing near the fueling station about 1710. The pilot and passenger (the pilot's brother) refueled together, adding about 32 gallons of 100-low lead fuel. At 1722, they boarded, hover taxied to runway 19, and departed southbound at 1726.
FAA ADS-B data showed the flight track for the first 2 minutes. It headed south from runway 19, then turned southeast about 1.5 miles south of AVC, ending at 1728:52. No further radar or track data was found for the remainder of the flight.
The pilot's friend reported receiving a FaceTime video call shortly after takeoff. The pilot said they had refueled and would arrive at Manteo Airport (MQI) in 1 hour. The friend noted everything seemed normal, and the pilot did not mention weather or helicopter issues.
Witness Accounts
A witness in Hertford, North Carolina, on the northwest side of the Albemarle Sound, reported about 1830 hearing a low-flying small helicopter. She saw a blue helicopter land in an open field about ½ mile from the shoreline. She and her husband drove to assist, but the helicopter took off when they were about 50 ft away. The takeoff was quick and sounded normal; it flew southeast over the water and exited view. She described low overcast clouds, mist, and inability to see land across the Sound.
Wreckage and Weather
The United States Coast Guard was notified about 1940 of an overdue helicopter destined for MQI. A search based on cell phone data from the pilot and passenger located fragments of the helicopter floating the next day near coordinates 36.029491°, -75.991991°, consistent with the cell phone position data. Figure 1 (not shown) shows cell phone positions from 1816 to 1848, the off-airport landing location, debris area, and unidentified primary radar targets. It is unknown which radar targets belonged to the helicopter.
Recovered fragments included seat cushions and airframe pieces near the fuel tank, showing significant tearing and crushing. The limited wreckage precluded examination for preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
An NTSB weather study found widespread light to heavy precipitation, low clouds, and visibility in the debris area at the accident time. No record exists of the pilot requesting an online weather briefing or calling flight service. Thunderstorms and instrument flight rules conditions were forecast for the area at the time of the accident.
Pilot Information
FAA airman certification records show the pilot did not hold a student pilot certificate or medical certificate. He applied for a third-class medical on January 29, 2021, but the issuance was deferred due to multiple DUI infractions.
The flight instructor stated the accident pilot began flight training in February 2021, one month after purchasing the helicopter. The instructor provided about 20 hours of dual instruction, with another instructor providing the first 20 hours. In early May 2021, the instructor signed the student off for supervised and local solo flight, totaling about 6 solo hours. The pilot implied he had a medical certificate, but the instructor never saw one. Logbooks were not recovered.
On June 30, 2021, the pilot informed the instructor he moved the helicopter to his private residence in Glade Hill, Virginia, without proper endorsements. The last dual training was May 28, 2021.
Text messages from the accident afternoon show the pilot planned to stop at W78 for fuel, then go to "OBX for a fishing trip." The instructor noted fuel service was inoperable at W78, and the pilot considered AVC instead. The instructor reported the pilot lacked cross-country endorsements and had limited cross-country training, and that the pilot "knew what the rules were" but "some people don’t always play by the rules."
A friend reported the pilot said about a month before the accident he was "good to go on his own" but needed more hours for his "actual license," and he could not fly passengers for hire. The friend was unsure if the pilot understood he could not fly passengers under any circumstances.
Toxicology Findings
The autopsy, performed by East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, listed cause of death as multiple traumatic injuries. No thermal injury or airway soot was described. Changes consistent with prolonged water immersion were noted. No significant natural disease was found.
Toxicological testing by the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner detected ethanol at 0.08 g/dL in cavity blood. The FAA Forensic Sciences Laboratory detected ethanol at 0.093 g/dL in cavity blood, 0.097 g/dL in muscle, and 0.148 g/dL in brain. N-propanol was detected in cavity blood, muscle, and brain; n-butanol was detected in brain. Carboxyhemoglobin in cavity blood was elevated at 19%. No specimen was available for passenger carboxyhemoglobin testing.
According to the Pilot's Operating Handbook, VFR day and night operations were approved; flight into IMC was not. Under 14 CFR § 61.23 and 61.87, a student pilot certificate and at least a third-class medical certificate were required to solo the helicopter, and carrying passengers was prohibited.