# NTSB CEN25LA389: Robinson Helicopter R44, N831VA, Decatur, TX, September 19, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: September 19, 2025, 10:07 local (15:07 UTC) - Place: Decatur, TX · gravel road - Coordinates: 33.2999, -97.62178 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.2999&lon=-97.6218&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report October 17, 2025 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Flight Standards - NTSB case key (mKey): 201064 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN25LA389 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201064/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201064 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN25LA389 ## Probable cause The pilot’s loss of control during an off-airport, pinnacle landing, and the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the instructional flight. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44, 40 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=7640120), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Info processing/decision: decision making/judgment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520): Personnel issues › Action/decision · Instructor/check pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44, 15 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md?model=7640120), [All aircraft, 3,098 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02041520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing-flare/touchdown: Loss of control on ground](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md?model=7640120), [All aircraft, 4,585 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/230/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor reported the instructional flight initially proceeded without incident. The plan was for the pilot-receiving-instruction to work on off-airport, pinnacle landings. The pilot’s first steep approach was completed with no issues. They moved about one-half mile to the west, and the pilot initiated an approach to an elevated dirt road. The road had a hump in the middle, and the pilot intentionally remained light on the skids to ensure a stable set down. However, as the nose of the helicopter began to rise due to the hump in the road, the tail rotor blades contacted the ground. The pilot subsequently lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter came to rest on a descending embankment from the road. The forward portion of the left landing skid, the tail skid, and the aft portion of the tail boom separated. One tail rotor blade was separated near mid-span and located at the accident site. Damage to the outboard leading edge of one main rotor blade appeared consistent with contact to the tail boom. The flight instructor stated there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the helicopter before the accident. He also noted that becoming more familiar with the helicopter before moving to complex maneuvers such as an off-airport, pinnacle landing might have resulted in a different outcome. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N831VA](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N831VA), registered now, S/N 13477, built 2013 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R44](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44) (registry code 7640120) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-ae1a5) (registry code 41899, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 13477 - Year built: 2013 - Airframe hours: 3633.5 - Engines: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 300 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Veracity Aviation, doing business as N/A - Registered owner: Travel Systems LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, June 27, 2025, 70.9 hours before - Departed: AFW, Fort Worth, TX - Destination: AFW, Fort Worth, TX - Airport: LUD, Decatur Municipal, runway N/A, dirt - Equipment: ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 31; injuries: none; commercial, flight instructor; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review August 18, 2025; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 334 total, 168 in this make and model, 277 as pilot in command, 82 in the last 90 days, 48 in the last 30 days, 5 in the last 24 hours - Pilot; age 41; injuries: none; private; instrument ratings: helicopter; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; last flight review May 28, 2025; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 150 total, 13 in this make and model, 105 as pilot in command, 52 in the last 90 days, 17 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 90° at 7 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 64 °F - Altimeter: 30.09 inHg - Observed at: KLUD, 3 nm away - METAR: METAR KLUD 191515Z AUTO 09007KT 10SM CLR 25/18 A3009 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250919013159A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250919013159A), Sep 19, 2025: Robinson Helicopter R44, Alvord, TX, Substantial damage. During a pinacle landing, the main rotor struck the tail rotor and gearbox assembly tearing the tailsection, tailrotor and gearbox from the aircraft. ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 17, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=201064. 5.8 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 3.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19320949&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Accident%20Report%20Form%20--%20CEN25LA389_redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigation photos (item 2, PDF, 7 pages, 2.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19321245&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photos%20--%20CEN25LA389-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.