Robinson 44 crash

Russian R44 crash, video from cockpit.
4 POB , all ok.
seems that he is trying to do a quick stop and hover, but ends running out of power to stop the descent.
http://www.lifenews.ru/news/72159

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• helicopter
• robinson44
• r-44
• crash
• settling with power

[asermartinez]

I agree, running out of power to stop the descent, not vortex ring state.

[Rvrbendheli]

Loss of power. Came to Out of Ground Effect hover without OGE power. Velocity squared biggest part of lift equation. Drooped rotor and lost lift to equal a for sure near gross weight R44 with 4 on board. Conditions for settling with power were surely present but not the cause. Either way his corrective action required would have been the same for either or. Lower the collective and establish directional flight.

[motokid032]

Was this a Clipper or an Astro?

I don't think it was a Raven..

[motokid032]

SWP, went to pull pitch and didn't have the power available to back the excess pitch up.

[R44Helipilot]

I say Vortex Ring State- the strings on the windshield have fallen down so absolutely zero forward airspeed, plus 600 feet per min. verticle drop. Thats Vortex ring in an R44 for sure.

Collective was being over-stretched (pulling 28"- way over red line). Engine and rotor needles are not split, so engine was providing power, but by raising the collective further he stalled rotor and RPM dropped. He needed to drop the collective, dive away and use emergency power to recover (by opening throttle)

[nocalsteve]

I don't see the settling with power here. Everything seemed okay until the rotor RPM warning horn sounded. It seems more like he overtorqued it doing the quick stop while heavily loaded, if not overloaded, which caused the loss of RPM.