# Accident 20231026021019A: Robinson Helicopter R44, Rowlett, TX, October 26, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 26, 2023, 16:50 local time
- Place: Rowlett, TX
- Airport: Garland/Dfw Heloplex
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: S4HA
- Location: 32.9450° N, 96.5570° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.9450&lon=-96.5570&mi=10
- Aircraft: N141CD, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N141CD) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 (registry code 7640120, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 (registry code 42353, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-540-f1b5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-540-F1B5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 2,362 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN24LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA027) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20231026021019A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON 10/26/2023 AT APPROXIMATELY 4:15PM AN R-44 HELICOPTER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED THE GARLAND HELIPORT (HQZ) AND PROCEEDED ON A PILOT TRAINING FLIGHT. APPROXIMATELY 50 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, THE AIRCRAFT PRESENTED AN ENGINE OVERSPEED CONDITION MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CFI TOOK CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT AND EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD AT 7121 LIBERTY GROVE, ROWLETT TX. ON LANDING THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL BOOM REPEATEDLY AND SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OF THE AIRCRAFT OCCURRED. THE STUDENT PILOT AND INSTRUCTOR EGRESSED THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB CEN24LA027](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24LA027), Oct 26, 2023: Robinson Helicopter R44 (N141CD), Rowlett, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: A malfunction of the helicopter’s Engine Monitoring Unit (EMU)/Governor Controller for undetermined reasons. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s failure to turn off the…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.