Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Slaton, Texas, September 18, 2012
On September 18, 2012 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N957R, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Slaton, Texas (Slaton Municipal airport). It was an aerial application (crop spraying) 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 misalignment of the helicopter during landing, which resulted in the helicopter’s fall from a raised platform.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 18, 2012 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Slaton, Texas · Slaton Municipal · 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
- N957R · no longer on the register · serial 10598
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After a local flight, the pilot positioned the helicopter onto its platform trailer. The helicopter’s left skid touched down on the metal surface, and the pilot then lowered the right skid to the platform. The helicopter started to slip off the platform, so the pilot raised the collective to correct the problem. However, the helicopter fell to the left, the main rotor impacted the ground, and the tail boom was severed. The helicopter came to rest on the skids; the fuel tank was compromised and a post-crash fire consumed a majority 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
What happened, in order
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during landing defining event
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,004 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 2, 2011
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Gb Aerial Applications, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: F49 Slaton TX
- Destination: F49 Slaton TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KLBB, 13 miles away
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 N957R 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.