20260720008389A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Red Oak, IA · July 20, 2026

Date
July 20, 2026 · 10:55 local
Place
Red Oak, IA
Phase of flight
Other, Specify
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
4CDG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N224RH
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN26LA260
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine
Lycoming 0-540F1 SERIE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
6,216 total2,170 in this make and model143 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.

Pilot lost control during take off from elevated platform with ground crew fueling hose connected to rotorcraft.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT LOST CONTROL DURING TAKE OFF FROM ELEVATED PLATFORM WITH GROUND CREW FUELING HOSE CONNECTED TO ROTORCRAFT.

NTSB investigation

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