Report on air accident at Trollnes in Arendal municipality on 25 June 2023, involving a Robinson R44, LN-OSS
Aviation report 2024/08
On Sunday 25 June 2023, a Robinson R44 helicopter crashed immediately after landing at Trollnes north of Arendal. During landing at Trollnes, the pilot lost control of the helicopter, which hit the rocks on the shoreline and was completely destroyed. Both people on board escaped with minor injuries. The NSIA considers the landing site to be marginally suitable generally, and for a pilot with limited experience especially.
The landing attempt was filmed by both a witness on the ground and a camera inside the helicopter. The accident occurred when the pilot miscalculated the helicopter’s position relative to the edge of the landing site. There was a steep slope at the rear of the landing site and the helicopter landed closer to the slope than intended. When he lowered the collective and the weight of the helicopter was shifted onto the skids, the helicopter tipped backwards and crashed.
The NSIA’s investigation has not found any faults or irregularities in the helicopter that may have had an impact on the sequence of events.
Neither of the people on board were wearing a helmet or life jacket. No safety briefing had been given before the flight, and the passenger was not familiar with flying a helicopter. Several protective measures had therefore been dropped.
The helicopter was flown over open water during the approach. After the accident it ended up in shallow water. The NSIA believes that the accident could easily have caused greater harm to those on board.
Like most private helicopter pilots, the pilot was not part of any club community or flight operations environment. Such communities have been established for most other areas of aviation. The investigation has highlighted the advantages a private pilot may gain from being part of a flight operations environment to share experiences and thereby increase safety awareness and knowledge.
Published 05.09.2024
Facts
| Location | Trollnes, Arendal, Norway |
| Occurrence date | 25.06.2023 |
| Aircraft | Robinson R44 |
| Operator | Private |
| Registration | LN-OSS |
| Meteorological conditions | VMC |
| County | Agder |
| Type of occurrence | Accident |
| Type of operation | Private |
| Category of operation | Light, helicopter (<= 2 250kg) |
| Aircraft category | Helicopter, Single-engine, Piston engine |