# NTSB ERA27LA017: Robinson Helicopter R44, N744CJ, Kinnelon, NJ, October 20, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Investigation open
- Date: October 19, 2026, 20:44 local (Oct 20, 2026, 00:44 UTC)
- Place: Kinnelon, NJ
- Location: 40.9820° N, 74.3859° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Kinnelon, NJ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.9820&lon=-74.3859&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 1 minor
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- NTSB case key (mKey): 204038
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA27LA017
- Latest NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/204038/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA27LA017

## Sequence of events

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

- [Maneuvering-hover: Low altitude operation/event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44, 26 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md?model=7640120), [All aircraft, 780 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/220/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Loss of visual reference](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/402); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44, 4 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/402/sequence.md?model=7640120), [All aircraft, 242 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/402/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44, 56 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7640120), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)
- [Landing: Tailstrike](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R44, 3 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md?model=7640120), [All aircraft, 124 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/091/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N744CJ](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N744CJ), registered now, S/N 2032, built 2009 (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 O-540-F1B5](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-540-f1b5) (registry code 42353, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Flight: Personal, Part 91
- Registered owner: Jersey Aviation LLC

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Night
- Wind: calm
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Observed at: 10 nm away

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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