Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Marietta, Texas, December 5, 2020
On December 5, 2020 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2019 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N371MP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Marietta, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to see and avoid a transmission wire during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 5, 2020 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marietta, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II II, built 2019
- Registration
- N371MP · registry record · serial 14298
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was lifting off from a field near a road with obstructions to the north, east, and south. During the departure to the west, the helicopter collided with a transmission line and the helicopter landed hard on the highway. The fuselage and main rotor blades sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. He stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had performed a confined area takeoff.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 5,139.4 hours in all; 49.6 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 4,945 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 485.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 9, 2020; 56.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 12,499 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 542 hours total
The flight
- Destination: Texarkana TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 4 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from KOSA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 10, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.