20250227002629A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Uvalde, TX · February 27, 2025

Date: February 27, 2025 · 08:00 local
Place: Uvalde, TX
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Operator: UVHJ
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N144SG
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN25FA104
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 2
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 6,147 total223 in the last 90 days

N144SGRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44 IIS/N 11880 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 II Engine modelLycoming IO-540-AE1A5Reciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

The aircraft was being used to perform wildlife animal survey flying 75-100 AGL. Aircraft impacted the ground nose down leaving two parallel scars from the skid gear. Forward and to the left, ~10 ft in the direction of flight, was a long gouge by a main rotor blade. The aircraft came to rest on it's right-side facing approximately oppiste the direction of travel.

As the FAA filed it

THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING USED TO PERFORM WILDLIFE ANIMAL SURVEY FLYING 75-100 AGL. AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND NOSE DOWN LEAVING TWO PARALLEL SCARS FROM THE SKID GEAR. FORWARD AND TO THE LEFT, ~10 FT IN THE DIRECTION OF FLIGHT, WAS A LONG GOUGE BY A MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON IT'S RIGHT-SIDE FACING APPROXIMATELY OPPISTE THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN25FA104Accident · 2 fatalClass 3 · FieldPreliminary reportUvalde, TXOn February 27, 2025, about 1319 central standard time, a Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) R44 helicopter, N144SG, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Uvalde, Texas. The commercial pilot and the passenger sustained fatal…Feb 27, 2025 · Substantial damage