# NTSB investigations: Robinson Helicopter R44: Low altitude operation/event

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ERA27LA017](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA27LA017.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Kinnelon, NJ · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Investigation open · Oct 20, 2026 · N744CJ
- [NTSB CEN26LA289](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN26LA289.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 Raven 1 · Scribner, NE · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 18, 2026 · N26EH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines while maneuvering at low-level altitude during an agricultural operation.
- [NTSB CEN23LA328](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA328.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Hanlontown, IA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 26, 2023 · N467HA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a cable during spray operations.
- [NTSB CEN23LA219](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA219.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Pontiac, MI · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 31, 2023 · N7102Z · Substantial damage
  > The flight crew’s inadequate compensation for gusting wind, and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in impact with the ground.
- [NTSB CEN23LA086](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23LA086.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Fowlerton, TX · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jan 10, 2023 · N811S · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance with trees, which resulted in an uncontrollable spin due to tail rotor damage.
- [NTSB CEN21LA350](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA350.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Waukon, IA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 4, 2021 · N775AK · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from a powerline during an agricultural application pass.
- [NTSB CEN21LA452](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA452.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Mineral Point, WI · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 20, 2021 · N44XB · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to see and avoid a wire during an aerial application flight, resulting in a collision with the wire.
- [NTSB ERA21FA200](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21FA200.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Wingate, NC · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · May 2, 2021 · N4528T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power line during a low-level aerial application flight, resulting in tail rotor impact with the power line, a loss of control, and subsequent impact with the ground.
- [NTSB CEN21LA155](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA155.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Dunn, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Feb 26, 2021 · N7184N · Substantial damage
  > The loss of rotor RPM for reasons that could not be determined based on available evidence.
- [NTSB CEN21LA084](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA084.md): Robinson R44 · Colorado City, TX · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Dec 10, 2020 · N7085Z · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s loss of control and exceedance of performance and/or structural limitations during low-altitude operations, which resulted in an inflight breakup.. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s impairment from the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol.
- [NTSB CEN20CA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20CA300.md): Robinson R44 · Dickeyville, WI · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Jul 20, 2020 · N570WH · Substantial damage
  > The pilot did not maintain clearance from wires during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB GAA19CA509](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA19CA509.md): Robinson R44 · Cypress Island, WA · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 21, 2019 · N7186P · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a tree while maneuvering at a low altitude.
- [NTSB CEN18FA215](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18FA215.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Oshkosh, WI · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 9, 2018 · N529DW · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's decision to fly over the river at a low altitude and his failure to maintain clearance with wires during low-level flight.
- [NTSB GAA18CA247](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA247.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Sonora, TX · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 18, 2018 · N4487D · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from trees while maneuvering at a low altitude.
- [NTSB CEN18LA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN18LA025.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Larchwood, IA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 6, 2017 · N7085M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of situational awareness, which resulted in his failure to maintain adequate clearance from powerlines.
- [NTSB GAA17CA491](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA491.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Westby, WI · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 14, 2017 · N97UP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to see and avoid power lines while maneuvering at low altitude.
- [NTSB GAA17CA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA151.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Holtville, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 14, 2017 · N4534G · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s initiation of a left turn at a low altitude with low airspeed and a tailwind while operating near maximum gross weight, which resulted in the helicopter losing altitude, touching down on a dirt surface, and a subsequent dynamic rollover.
- [NTSB ANC15LA073](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC15LA073.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Fort Glenn, AK · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 19, 2015 · N7162R · Substantial damage
  > The separation of the tail rotor gearbox from the tailboom attachment point due to overstress loads imposed by a tail rotor blade imbalance as the result of impact with an undetermined object during low-level flight operations.
- [NTSB CEN15CA348](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15CA348.md): Robinson R44 · Kansasville, WI · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 7, 2015 · N20KD · Destroyed
  > The pilot's inability to see and avoid power lines that were low to the ground and a green color that blended with the background crops.
- [NTSB CEN15CA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN15CA025.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Harper, TX · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 24, 2014 · N7192K · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees while maneuvering.
- [NTSB CEN14CA426](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA426.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Lancaster, WI · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 13, 2014 · N8343P · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate monitoring of the environment and failure to maintain clearance from transmission wires during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB CEN13LA448](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13LA448.md): Robinson R44 · Capron, IL · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 28, 2013 · N9681R · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain main rotor speed while maneuvering at low altitude during an agricultural application flight, which resulted in an uncontrolled descent into terrain.
- [NTSB ERA10LA348](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10LA348.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Marion, KY · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 5, 2010 · N857PM · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from power lines during an aerial application flight.
- [NTSB ANC10LA053](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC10LA053.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Unalaska, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Jun 20, 2010 · N333DV · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inappropriate low altitude maneuvering, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
- [NTSB CEN10CA251](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10CA251.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Baraboo, WI · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 15, 2010 · N570MD · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance with crops while maneuvering during aerial application.
- [NTSB WPR09CA339](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR09CA339.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Marysville, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jul 13, 2009 · N244HP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from the power line wires.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('7640120')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND s.aircrafts_position = x.position AND s."tier2Number" = '220' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent")))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence?model=7640120

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