# NTSB ANC26LA103: Robinson Helicopter R44 II, N4026E, Colquitt, GA, September 11, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: September 11, 2026, 08:30 local (12:30 UTC)
- Place: Colquitt, GA · Farm
- Coordinates: 31.1104, -84.741986
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.1104&lon=-84.7420&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 1 uninjured
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Alaska Regional Office
- Parties: Lycoming, FAA
- NTSB case key (mKey): 203810
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ANC26LA103
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/203810/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC26LA103

## Preliminary report

On September 11, 2026 about 0830 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, N4026E, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Colquitt, Georgia. The pilot was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight. According to the pilot, he completed a preflight inspection and engine run-up of the helicopter and found no anomalies. He verified all gauges were in the green and hovered the helicopter over to a trailer and landed on the trailer. Ground personnel added five gallons of fuel and loaded 50 lbs of liquid to the helicopter while the helicopter remained running. The ground personnel unhooked all the hoses from the helicopter and gave the pilot a signal it was safe to depart from the trailer. The pilot lifted the helicopter to a hover over the trailer and verified all gauges were still in the green. The pilot pushed forward on the cyclic to depart from the trailer, as the helicopter began to move forward, he felt a jolt and heard and felt the engine “skipping.” Subsequently the engine lost partial power and the helicopter settled into the terrain resulting in a hard landing. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom, tail rotor gear box, and tail rotor blades. A detailed wreckage examination is pending.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (partial)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44 II, 13 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md?model=7640122), [All aircraft, 1,858 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/342/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N4026E](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4026E), registered now, S/N 14098, built 2017 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R44 II](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (registry code 7640122) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (registry code 41899, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Helicopter
- Serial number: 14098
- Year built: 2017
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Aerial application, Part 137
- Operator: Circle C Farms Inc
- Registered owner: Circle C Farms Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Equipment: Unknown

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 90° at 4 knots
- Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 32 °F
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observed at: BGE, 9 nm away
- METAR: KBGE 111215Z AUTO 09004KT 25/ A3001 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT W PWINO T0245////

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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