Robinson Helicopter Company R44 accident near Fairbanks, Alaska, April 20, 2018
On April 20, 2018, a 2003 Robinson Helicopter Company R44, registered N511CC, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Fairbanks, Alaska (Chena Marina airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control while in a hovering turn, which resulted in a collision with obstacles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2018
- Place
- Fairbanks, Alaska · Chena Marina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, built 2003
- Registration
- N511CC · no longer on the register · serial 10173
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was preparing to depart from an asphalt pad at a private airport for a personal flight. The pilot reported that, after he brought the helicopter to hover and proceeded to turn the helicopter while positioned over the pad, a gust of wind "pushed" the helicopter into a snowbank and trees. The helicopter sustained substantial damage. A review of weather information just before and after the time of the accident reported no wind gust conditions and indicated that wind was from 330° at 11 kts before the accident and from 340° at 12 kts after the accident. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Analysis of postaccident measurements revealed that there was suitable clearance for the helicopter to conduct a hovering turn from where the helicopter was positioned over the pad to the snowbank and trees. It is likely the pilot failed to maintain his position over his reference point during the hovering turn along with not compensating for the wind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control in flight and impact with the snowbank and trees.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (hover)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Snowy/icy terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,300 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 78 in the last 90 days; 43 in the last 30 days; 4,280 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 1, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines IO-540 Series (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AK28 Fairbanks AK
- Destination: None Unknown AK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.44 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from PAFA, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on April 28, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Data | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | AK28 Pad Drawing | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Robinson R-44 II POH Extract | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Accident Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.