# NTSB WPR25LA199: Robinson Helicopter R66, N23UP, Tukwila, WA, June 30, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: June 30, 2025, 12:43 local (19:43 UTC) - Place: Tukwila, WA - Coordinates: 47.526623, -122.30152 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.5266&lon=-122.3015&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 6, 2025 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Western Pacific Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Administration - NTSB case key (mKey): 200470 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=WPR25LA199 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200470/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200470 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA199 ## Probable cause The pilot’s failure to maintain yaw control during a takeoff to a hover in a gusting crosswind, which resulted in a loss of directional control and a subsequent hard landing. ## 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 · Pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R66, 12 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=7640130), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: directional control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R66, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md?model=7640130), [All aircraft, 3,958 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062020/cases.md) - [Wind: tailwind](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015): Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena · Effect on operation (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R66, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015/cases.md?model=7640130), [All aircraft, 594 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/03034015/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Landing: Hard landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R66, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md?model=7640130), [All aircraft, 2,102 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/092/sequence.md) - [Takeoff: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R66, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=7640130), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot and pilot-rated passenger boarded the helicopter for a local flight and were cleared by air traffic control to depart south. The pilot lifted the helicopter off the ramp and began to hover taxi east toward the taxiway with a left gusting crosswind. Surveillance video footage of the takeoff showed that shortly after lifting off, the helicopter yawed left about 90° while drifting east towards the taxiway. The helicopter continued to drift and then climbed in a slight nose up attitude. About 50 feet above ground level, the nose pitched down sharply, and it began a steep descent to the left. The helicopter pitched up to about level attitude and then landed hard on its skids. Subsequently, the helicopter bounced and climbed to the west out of the surveillance camera’s view. According to the pilot, when the helicopter lifted off the pad and did not respond to torque pedal inputs as expected, he transferred the helicopter’s controls to the pilot rated passenger. According to the pilot-rated passenger, he did not assume control of the helicopter until shortly before the helicopter impacted the ramp. After impact with the ramp and bounced, the pilot-rated passenger added power to climb over nearby powerlines and landed the helicopter without further incident. A post-accident inspection of the helicopter revealed it sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tailboom. Additionally, a visual examination of the helicopter’s flight controls did not reveal any pre-impact anomalies. The pilot-rated passenger reported he did not observe any mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The airport’s automated weather observation station reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 300° at 10 knots, gusting to 16 knots. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N23UP](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N23UP), registered now, S/N 0270 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R66 - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R66](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r66) (registry code 7640130) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Rolls-Royce 250-C300/A1](https://openairdocs.org/engine/rolls-royce-250-c300-a1) (registry code 54232, turbo-shaft) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 0270 - Year built: 2012 - Engines: Rolls-Royce 250-C300/A1 turbo shaft - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Operator: Seattle Air Taxi LLC - Registered owner: Seattle Air Taxi LLC - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Destination: S50, Auburn, WA - Airport: BFI, Boeing Field/King County International Airport - Equipment: ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 85; injuries: none; airline transport, private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land, single-engine sea; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3, with waivers/limitations; seat: right - Pilot; age 52; injuries: none; commercial; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; seat: left ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 300° at 10 knots, gusting 16 - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 79 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 29.99 inHg - Observed at: KBFI - METAR: KBFI 301953Z 30010G16KT 10SM CLR 26/12 A2999 RMK AO2 SLP154 T02610122 ## 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 20250630008439A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250630008439A), Jun 30, 2025: Robinson Helicopter Co R66, Tukwila, WA, Substantial damage. PIC was flying the helicopter under the supervision of a safety pilot (required per insurance company). ATCT video footage showed that after lift-off, the… ## Docket (8 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 6, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200470. 27.7 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (partial) (item 1, PDF, 1 page, 88 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19094785&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=1.%206120-Rel.pdf - Helicopter inspection statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 4.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19172924&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=1.%20Helicopter%20Inspection%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Pilot rated passenger statement (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 132 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19338692&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=1.%20Pilot-Rated%20Passenger%20Statement_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Record of conversation, pilot rated passenger (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 84 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19339223&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=1.%20RoC,%20Pilot%20Rated%20Passenger-Rel.pdf - Witness statement (item 5, PDF, 1 page, 31 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19173484&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=1.%20Witness%20Statement-%20Douglas_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Video 1 courtesy of airport operations (item 6, MOV, 11.7 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19173646&FileExtension=MOV&FileName=6.%20Video%201%20Courtesy%20of%20Airport%20Operations-Rel.MOV - Video 2 courtesy of airport operations (item 7, MOV, 10.9 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19173889&FileExtension=MOV&FileName=6.%20Video%202%20Courtesy%20of%20Airport%20Operations-Rel.MOV - Investigation photographs (item 8, PDF, 4 pages, 3 photos, 722 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19173199&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6.%20Investigation%20Photographs-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.