Robinson 44 II Accident in Vilagarcía de Arousa

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On May 31, 2014, a privately owned Robinson 44 II helicopter, registration EC-JTC, departed Sanxenxo (Pontevedra) for Caldas de Reis (Pontevedra). The aircraft carried a pilot in the front right seat and two female passengers, one in the front left and one in the rear left. During the flight, the helicopter overflew the viewpoint on Monte Lobeira (294 m, Vilanova de Arousa), slowed down, and adopted a near-hover attitude facing the wind. It then turned north toward its destination, descending while increasing speed. While over a wooded area, a loud breaking sound was heard both inside and outside the aircraft. The helicopter immediately yawed sharply to the right and entered a small, sloping area surrounded by trees, where it struck the ground and overturned onto its left side. ## Casualties and Damage The pilot sustained serious injuries and was transported to a hospital. Both passengers were unharmed. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. No other damage was reported. ## Personnel and Operational Context The 35-year-old pilot held a valid commercial helicopter pilot license issued by the Spanish State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA), with a type rating for the R 44/SP valid until January 31, 2015, and a Class 1 medical certificate valid until April 22, 2015. The source indicates the pilot had completed 1,104 total helicopter flight hours, though the text is truncated. The investigation was conducted by the Spanish Civil Aviation Accident and Incident Investigation Commission (CIAIAC) under technical procedures aimed at accident prevention, not fault determination.