Robinson R-44 accident near Covington, Georgia, February 26, 2007
On February 26, 2007 at about 2:20 pm local time, a Robinson R-44 (helicopter), registered N448BP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Covington, Georgia (Covington Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during liftoff, which resulted in an in-flight collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 2007 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Covington, Georgia · Covington Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-44 · all R-44s on the register
- Registration
- N448BP · no longer on the register · serial 10379
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot lost control of the helicopter after takeoff during his first solo flight and struck the ground in uncontrolled flight. According to the student pilot, "I lifted off and obtained a stable hover. As I started forward in the helicopter, it started to gyrate. I remember coming down in the grassy area at the entrance to the airport. The main rotor blades struck the ground. The next thing I remember is the Air Rescue people working to get me out of the helicopter." The Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), stated that this was the student pilot's first solo flight. The student pilot and the CFI had been doing dual flight instruction for about 45 minutes prior to the accident. Following the dual instruction the CFI ask the student pilot if he "felt good about a solo, and he stated yes". The student pilot lifted off with a "slight bobble" to about a five foot hover and seemed to recover from the "bobble". The CFI was in communication with the student by 2-way radio. The student lifted the helicopter upward and the helicopter started to gyrate erratically, gradually moving northbound. The student lost control and the helicopter struck the ground approximately 150 yards from the liftoff spot. Examination of the helicopter by an FAA inspector found that the helicopter struck the ground in a nose down attitude, substantially damaging the main rotors and cockpit. There were no mechanical problems reported by the student pilot or discovered during the post-accident examination of 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 67 hours in all; 67 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 679.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 1, 2006; 79.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-550-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Blue Ridge Helicopters Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 9A1 Covington GA at 2:18 pm
- Destination: 9A1 Covington GA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from PDK
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.