Another Robinson R44 Helicopter rolled over and almost immediately caught fire.  This time it was at Slaton Municipal Airport in Slaton, Texas.  According to the Avalanche-Journal, the Robinson R44 firehelicopter was engulfed in flames within 10 seconds of the helicopter rolling onto its side.

Fortunately, the pilot got out.  But the R44 is racking up quite a record for catching fire in otherwise survivable accidents. The problem is that once the helicopter’s rotor blades strike the ground, its transmission rips into the fuel tank.  See here, here, and maybe here.

These fires aren’t supposed to happen. In 2010, Robinson began using a different fuel tank that is supposed to be resistant to punctures. But it didn’t retrofit the existing fleet.  This aircraft was a 2004 model.