Robinson Helicopter Co. R44 II accident near Goldsboro, North Carolina, July 28, 2004
On July 28, 2004 at about 11:30 am local time, a Robinson Helicopter Co. R44 II, registered N442RD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Goldsboro, North Carolina (Goldsboro - Private Helipad 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 obtain the proper touchdown point during landing on a helipad with an exposed edge, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 28, 2004 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Goldsboro, North Carolina · Goldsboro - Private Helipad · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Co. R44 II
- Registration
- N442RD · registry record · serial 10237
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he executed a landing on a concrete helipad that was elevated approximately six inches above the ground. He stated the helicopter touched down slightly off center, and he attempted to reposition the helicopter on the pad. The pilot stated that, during repositioning, the rear of the skids went off the rear of the pad, the helicopter tilted backward, and the tail rotor struck the ground. Examination of the accident site revealed the concrete helipad was approximately 13 feet long and 13 feet wide, and the width between the helicopter's skids was seven feet. Examination of the helicopter revealed the ninety-degree gearbox was separated, the tail rotor was separated and fragmented, and the lower portion of the vertical fin was crushed. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction with the helicopter.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,658 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 1,550 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 68 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 28, 2003; 68 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PVT Emerald Isle NC at 11:00 am
- Destination: PVT Goldsboro NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 12:51 pm from KRDU, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.