# Accident 20250831012969A: Sikorsky Aircraft Corp S-76D, Round Mountain, TX, August 31, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 31, 2025, 21:30 local time
- Place: Round Mountain, TX
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Landing: Approach
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: 86PA
- Location: 30.3436° N, 98.1575° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.3436&lon=-98.1575&mi=10
- Aircraft: N36RP, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N36RP) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Sikorsky S-76D (registry code 8143021, https://openairdocs.org/model/sikorsky-s-76d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S (registry code 52294, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-canada-pw210s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORP S-76D
- Reported engine: P&W CANADA PW210S
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 3
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 13,043 total, 344 in this make and model, 14 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN25LA356](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA356) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250831012969A

## Narrative

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

ON 31 AUG 2025, AT APPROX. 21:30 LOCAL TIME, A S-76D HELICOPTER OPERATING AS A PART 135 CORPORATE FLIGHT, CRASHED ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT NIGHT, VFR, UNAIDED.  THE HELICOPTER HAD TWO PILOTS ONBOARD AND ONE PASSENGER, WHO WAS THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ OF THE HELICOPTER.  THE PILOTS MISTAKENLY TOOK GREEN "TIKI" LIGHTS AT A RV PARK FOR THE GREEN LED LIGHTS AT THE HELIPORT.  THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED TREES AT APPROX 30 FT MANEUVERING TO LAND.  THE CRASH SITE IS LOCATED ROUGHLY 1.5 MILES TO THE NORTH OF THE INTENDED POINT OF LANDING.  THERE WERE NO FATALITIES FROM THIS ACCIDENT.  THE WEATHER WAS REPORTED AS DARK WITH APPROX. 50% ILLUMINATION DUE TO A LOW OVERCAST CLOUD LAYER, BUT WITH NO VISIBLE OBSCURATIONS.  WITNESSES REPORTED HEARING THE HELICOPTER FLY OVER THEIR HOMES, AND THEN RETURN A FEW MOMENTS LATER LOWER AND SLOWER THAN BEFORE.  WHEN THEY HEARD THE SOUND OF THE HELICOPTER IMPACTING THE TREES, THEY ALERTED EMERGENCY SERVICES AND RAN TO THE ACCIDENT SITE TO PROVIDE UNDEFINED.

## 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 CEN25LA356](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA356), Sep 1, 2025: Sikorsky S-76 (N36RP), Round Mountain, TX, substantial damage. Probable cause: The flight crew’s failure to properly identify the heliport in dark night conditions, which resulted in the flight crew attempting to land and a subsequent impact with trees and terrain.

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.

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