Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Peoria, Illinois, May 27, 2012
On May 27, 2012 at about 11:30 am local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N1UB, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Peoria, Illinois (Mount Hawley Auxiliary Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of control while hover-taxiing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2012 · about 11:30 am local time
- Place
- Peoria, Illinois · Mount Hawley Auxiliary Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II
- Registration
- N1UB · no longer on the register · serial 11980
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was repositioning the helicopter from the ramp area to a taxiway from where he intended to depart. He stated that after hover-taxiing about 30 yards to the east-northeast he made a left turn toward the north. He reported that, during this turn, the helicopter encountered a wind gust that elevated the tail boom to the point where the forward portion of the landing skids made contact with the tarmac. The helicopter landed hard after the pilot lowered the collective in response to the loss of control. The tail boom, tail rotor, and main rotor impacted the tarmac during the hard landing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter. A postaccident review of the available weather reports established that the prevailing wind was from 190 degrees at 5 knots. No wind gusts were reported during the 1-hour time period surrounding the accident. In the absence of any appreciable wind gusts, the pilot should have been able to maintain control of the helicopter while hover-taxiing.
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 taxi (to runway) defining event
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,476 hours in all; 323 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 9, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 541 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2011; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Green Aircraft Leasing, Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 3MY Peoria IL at 11:30 am
- Destination: PVT Joliet IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 11:54 am from KPIA, 8 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 N1UB 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.