Robinson Helicopter Company R44 incident near Oosterschelde, Nl, January 21, 2012
On January 21, 2012 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44, registered PHWMW, was involved in an incident during enroute (cruise) near Oosterschelde. It was flown under non-U.S. commercial rules. No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 21, 2012 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Oosterschelde, Netherlands · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44
- Registration
- PHWMW · no longer on the register · serial 2072
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · non-U.S. commercial rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On January 21, 2012, at 1430 universal coordinated time, a Robinson Helicopter Company model R44, Dutch registration PH-WMW, made an uneventful forced landing after experiencing a partial loss of engine power near Oosterschelde, The Netherlands. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Helicon Helicopter Services, located in Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the flight that departed Kruiningen, The Netherlands, at an unspecified time. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Dutch Government. Further information may be obtained from: The Dutch Safety Board P.O. Box 95404 2509 CK The Hague The Netherlands Phone: (+31) 70 333 7000 Fax: (+31) 70 333 7077 E-mail: info@onderzoeksraad.nl Webpage: http://www.onderzoeksraad.nl/en/index.php This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained from The Dutch Safety Board.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Air intake › Damaged/degraded
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,090 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Helicon Helicopter Services
The flight
- Departed from: Oosterschelde
- Destination: Kruiningen
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 4.4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft; a few clouds at 800 ft
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
- Observation at 2:35 pm from EHWO
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.