Robinson R44 accident near St. Ferdinand, Ca, August 28, 2011
On August 28, 2011 at about 1:15 am local time, a Robinson R44 (helicopter), registered CGEBY, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near St. Ferdinand. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 4 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 28, 2011 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- St. Ferdinand, Canada
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- CGEBY · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 27, 2011, at 2115 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, C-GEBY, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff near St. Ferdinand, Quebec, Canada. The pilot and three passengers sustained fatal injuries. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Canada. Any further information may be obtained from: Transportation Safety Board of Canada 200 Promenade du Portage Place du Centre, 4th Floor Hull, Quebec K1A 1K8 Canada Web site: http://www.tsb.gc.ca This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by or obtained for the Government of Canada.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
Crew member
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: 9049-5854 Quebec Inc
The flight
- Departed from: St. Ferdinand
- Destination: St. Nicolas
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- 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.
Other NTSB records under CGEBY 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.