Hard Landing of a Robinson R44 II Helicopter at Vitacura Municipal Aerodrome

Incident Overview and Location Details On July 2, 2023, at 17:10 local time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter was involved in an aviation incident at the Aeródromo Municipal de Vitacura (SCLC) in Chile's Metropolitan Region. The aircraft was operating a local flight and was making a landing in the eastern sector of the aerodrome when it executed a hard landing. The pilot, a 58-year-old Chilean holding a Private Pilot of Helicopter license, was accompanied by three passengers. All four occupants sustained injuries of varying severity, and the helicopter sustained significant damage. ## Aircraft and Maintenance Information The helicopter, manufactured by Robinson in 2006, had a serial number of 11400 and had accumulated 2,308.0 hours of service at the time of the incident. It was powered by a Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 engine. The operator demonstrated that the aircraft met mandatory maintenance requirements established by the Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil (DGAC) and the manufacturer, with the last inspection conducted on June 2, 2023, at 2,296.8 hours of service. The aircraft's documentation, including its certificate of registration and airworthiness, was in good standing. ## Damage Assessment and Wreckage The helicopter was found resting on its right side in front of the hangar where it was normally stored. The main rotor blades were fractured and bent, and the tail cone was torn from the main fuselage, though the tail rotor drive shaft remained connected. The main fuselage exhibited multiple dents, and the right front windshield was broken. The skid landing gear had bent cross tubes, and the tail rotor was on the ground with a bent tail skid. The main transmission and engine showed oil leaks. ## Flight Dynamics and Investigation Findings According to the investigation, as the helicopter approached the landing point in front of the hangars, the pilot executed a 90-degree turn and entered a hover at an approximate altitude of 12 meters, outside the ground effect. The helicopter then rose on two occasions and turned to the right, completing seven full rotations (360 degrees) before impacting the platform in a hard landing. The investigation noted that the push-pull tubes for the right and left pedals were broken as a result of the impact, preventing the transmission of control from the pedals to the tail rotor. The ELT did not activate, and the occupants evacuated the aircraft with the assistance of emergency services from a nearby clinic.