Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Kent, Texas, April 23, 2009
On April 23, 2009 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N518SJ, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Kent, Texas (None airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were 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 control of the helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 23, 2009 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kent, Texas · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II
- Registration
- N518SJ · registry record · serial 11466
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot and three passengers were circling over rural terrain at an altitude of 150 feet above ground level and approximately 219 pounds overweight for the flight conditions when the pilot slowed to 10 knots with a tailwind. The helicopter began to lose main rotor rpm and the low-rotor aural warning sounded. The pilot lowered the collective in an attempt to maintain rotor rpm, but there was insufficient altitude to recover. The helicopter hit the ground with the tail rotor first and the body of the helicopter landed hard and skidded forward, crushing the left skid. The main rotors flexed downward during impact and severed the tailboom. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical deficiencies, and that the accident would likely not have happened if he had turned into a headwind.
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
- Settling with power/vortex ring state during maneuvering defining event
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,700 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jobeco Materials LLC
The flight
- Departed from: None Kent TX
- Destination: None Kent TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.