# NTSB investigations: Robinson Helicopter R44 II: Loss of visual reference

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 WPR25LA262](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA262.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Burlington, WA · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 18, 2025 · N877DR · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to see and avoid the light pole, which resulted in a collision with the light pole and subsequent ground impact.
- [NTSB ANC25LA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25LA064.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Palmer, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 30, 2025 · N531AT · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s diverted attention during takeoff in flat light conditions, which resulted in a loss of visual reference with terrain.
- [NTSB ANC23LA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC23LA032.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Skwentna, AK · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 9, 2023 · N704T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude/clearance from terrain while maneuvering in adverse weather conditions, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
- [NTSB CEN23FA142](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA142.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Port Allen, LA · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Mar 26, 2023 · N441PD · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and the loss of aircraft control.
- [NTSB CEN23FA125](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN23FA125.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Port O'Connor, TX · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Mar 7, 2023 · N494SH · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s initiation of the visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of helicopter control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s flicker vertigo during the flight.
- [NTSB ERA22FA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22FA010.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Cornwall, NY · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Oct 10, 2021 · N637HP · Destroyed
  > The non-instrument-rated pilot’s continued flight into deteriorating weather conditions, which resulted in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
- [NTSB ANC20CA023](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC20CA023.md): Robinson R44 · Talkeetna, AK · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Data collection · Final report · Feb 21, 2020 · N716JL · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from snow covered terrain during an en route descent in flat light conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB ANC17LA040](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC17LA040.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Solomon, AK · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Aug 3, 2017 · N4138M · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude above water, and his loss of situational awareness, which resulted in an inadvertent descent and collision with water.
- [NTSB WPR14CA019](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14CA019.md): Robinson R44 - II · Sedro Woolley, WA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 18, 2013 · N414CC · Substantial damage
  > The non-instrument rated pilot's inadvertent encounter with instrument meteorological conditions during initial climb and his improper decision to continue flight, which resulted in an in-flight impact with a tree and an emergency descent that resulted in a…
- [NTSB CEN13FA010](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA010.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Blanco, TX · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 12, 2012 · N474FA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of helicopter control as a result of spatial disorientation due to dark night conditions and marginal visual flight rules weather conditions.
- [NTSB CEN11FA468](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11FA468.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Rising Sun, IN · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 9, 2011 · N42333 · Substantial damage
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot's decision to continue the visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and failure to maintain clearance from terrain.

## 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 ('7640122', '7640123')
    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" = '402' 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/402/sequence?model=7640122

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