Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Horseshoe Bay, Texas, December 29, 2014
On December 29, 2014 at about 9:20 pm local time, a 2012 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N174CD, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (aborted after touchdown) near Horseshoe Bay, Texas (Horseshoe Bay Resort airport). It was a personal 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 helicopter's contact with the landing pad during a rejected landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 29, 2014 · about 9:20 pm local time
- Place
- Horseshoe Bay, Texas · Horseshoe Bay Resort · 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, built 2012
- Registration
- N174CD · registry record · serial 13304
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot attempted to land the helicopter on a landing cart. As the helicopter's skids contacted the cart, the helicopter began to slide forward and to the left. The pilot aborted the landing and brought the helicopter back to a hover. During the maneuver, the tail boom stinger contacted the landing cart and the helicopter nosed over. The helicopter touched down and rolled on to its side, causing substantial damage to the tail boom, fuselage, and rotor system. The pilot reported a variable wind and a developing tailwind during the landing.
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
- Tailstrike during landing (aborted after touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 13,973 hours in all; 337.2 in this make and model; 76.5 in the last 90 days; 0.4 in the last 30 days; 13,973 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 18, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 339 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 23, 2014; 13.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 353 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BMQ Burnet TX at 9:00 pm
- Destination: DZB Horseshoe Bay TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 9:15 pm from KDZB
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 N174CD 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.