Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Shreveport, Louisiana, July 19, 2010
On July 19, 2010 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N721BB, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Shreveport, Louisiana. It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during takeoff, resulting in a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and a subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 2010 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Shreveport, Louisiana · 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
- Registration
- N721BB · registry record · serial 12593
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a written statement provided by the student helicopter pilot, he was practicing "sit downs and pick ups" to a grass field. The helicopter "sat down" uneventfully and the student pilot reduced power to chat with a friend. Shortly thereafter, the student pilot added power, ensured that all engine instruments were in the green, and attempted a takeoff. The student pilot detected a tailwind and applied left pedal correction; however, the helicopter yawed to the right one full rotation before the student pilot was able to set the helicopter back down. During the hard landing the horizontal stabilizer was bent, both tail rotor blades were damaged, the tail boom was wrinkled, and the fuselage was wrinkled on the right side. An examination of the helicopter and its related systems, conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, revealed no preexisting anomalies.
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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 44 hours in all; 44 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 6 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 587 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 8, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Helieye LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KSHV Shreveport LA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: KSHV Shreveport LA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,800 ft; a few clouds at 1,200 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from KSHV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
Other NTSB records under N721BB the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.