Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma, February 6, 2013
On February 6, 2013 at about 11:50 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N276RC, was substantially damaged in an accident during prior to flight near Tulsa, Oklahoma (Tulsa International Airport). It was a business 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 line technician’s failure to remove the refueling mat from the helicopter fuselage following servicing, which resulted in the mat striking the tail rotor in flight, and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 2013 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Tulsa, Oklahoma · Tulsa International Airport · 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
- N276RC · no longer on the register · serial 11975
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After fuel servicing, the line technician did not remove the rubber fueling mat from the fuselage. The pilot did not observe the mat on the fuselage before taking off, most likely due to his inadequate preflight inspection of the helicopter. While climbing through 150 feet above ground level, the fueling mat departed the fuselage and impacted the tail rotor, which resulted in the fracture of both tail rotor blades and a loss of tail rotor control. The pilot executed an autorotation landing and landed without further incident.
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
- Aircraft servicing event during prior to flight defining event
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during initial climb
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor › Tail rotor blade › Damaged/degraded
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Ground crew
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,255 hours in all; 966 in this make and model; 243 in the last 90 days; 46 in the last 30 days; 1,118 as pilot in command; 680 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 3, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,036 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 14, 2013
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Crumpton Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KTUL Tulsa OK at 11:50 pm
- Destination: KRVS Tulsa OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 160° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from KTUL
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.
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.