Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Tupelo, Mississippi, February 7, 2024
On February 7, 2024 at about 1:15 am local time, a 2013 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N4054Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Tupelo, Mississippi. 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 pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from water during a dark night landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 2024 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Tupelo, Mississippi · 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 2013
- Registration
- N4054Y · registry record · serial 13525
- 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 while attempting to land at his private helipad near a lake at night, he was unable to determine his height above the water. As he prepared to return to the departure airport, the tail rotor contacted the water. The pilot attempted to climb, but the helicopter began an un-commanded yaw to the right. The pilot reduced power and lowered the collective. The helicopter subsequently impacted the water and sustained substantial damage to the main rotor, tail boom, and vertical stabilizer. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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 landing (flare/touchdown)
- Tailstrike during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,850 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 130 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 130 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUP Tupelo MS at 1:08 am
- Destination: Tupelo MS
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KTUP, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KTUP 070253Z 01006KT 10SM CLR 08/01 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP200 T00780011 51013 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on April 12, 2024. 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 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN24LA112.