Robinson Helicopter Company R 44 accident near Bordeaux, Fr, December 20, 2013
On December 20, 2013 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R 44, registered FGPJG, was destroyed in an accident near Bordeaux. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2013 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Bordeaux, France · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R 44
- Registration
- FGPJG · no longer on the register · serial 567
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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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
- Unknown or undetermined during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Other authority investigated
Pilot
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,401 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Bordeaux at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Bordeaux
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Observation at 5:00 pm
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 NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.