ERA22FA098 · Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II

The noninstrument-rated pilot departed into night conditions with three passengers. Flight track information indicated that the helicopter flew northwest at altitudes between about 350 and 700 ft before impacting wooded terrain about 2.5 miles from the departure point. The helicopter was heavily fragmented, and the wreckage path was about 225 ft long. The examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Atmospheric conditions were favorable to the development of widespread, dense radiational fog in the area of the accident site during the time the helicopter departed. The pilot was aware of these conditions, as he stated to an individual before he departed that the fog and visibility were “bad,” and that he needed to find another way home. The helicopter was not certified for instrument flight.

As the pilot maneuvered the helicopter into reduced visibility, night conditions, it is likely he could not see outside visual references. When there is a lack of outside visual references, the pilot would have to use his flight instruments to understand the helicopter’s position in space. Based on the automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data, the helicopter’s trajectory changed several times in that last .5 miles. It is likely that the pilot was not referencing his flight instruments or was experiencing the effects of spatial disorientation. Based on the available information, it is likely that the pilot became spatially disoriented and lost control of the helicopter after departing on a visual flight rules flight into reduced visibility, night conditions

Verbatim NTSB analysis and probable cause from the NTSB dataset