20250919013159A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Alvord, TX · September 19, 2025

Date
September 19, 2025 · 10:07 local
Place
Alvord, TX
Phase of flight
Landing: Touchdown
Operating rules
Pilot school (Part 141)
Operator
V79A
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N831VA
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN25LA389
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
168 in this make and model

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.

During a pinacle landing, the main rotor struck the tail rotor and gearbox assembly tearing the tailsection, tailrotor and gearbox from the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

DURING A PINACLE LANDING, THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR AND GEARBOX ASSEMBLY TEARING THE TAILSECTION, TAILROTOR AND GEARBOX FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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