20260119000311A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Sheridan, WY · January 19, 2026

Date
January 19, 2026 · 09:10 local
Place
Sheridan, WY
Phase of flight
Maneuver
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Collision
Midair collision
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N74730
NTSB investigation
NTSBWPR26LA083
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44 II
Reported engine
Lycoming IO-540 series
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
7,500 total6,500 in this make and model200 in the last 90 days

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.

R-44 #1 rotor struck R-44 #2 tail rotor mid air. Both aircraft made an emergency landing. Minor damage to R-44 #1 substantial damage to R-44 #2

As the FAA filed it

R-44 #1 ROTOR STRUCK R-44 #2 TAIL ROTOR MID AIR. BOTH AIRCRAFT MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. MINOR DAMAGE TO R-44 #1 SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO R-44 #2

NTSB investigation

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