Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near New Florence, Missouri, July 4, 2024
On July 4, 2024 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2008 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N225AM, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near New Florence, Missouri. It was an aerial application (crop spraying) flight under agricultural flying rules (Part 137). 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 proper altitude/clearance from a dead tree limb during an aerial application flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 4, 2024 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- New Florence, Missouri · 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 2008
- Registration
- N225AM · registry record · serial 12221
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Aerial application (crop spraying) flight · agricultural flying rules (Part 137)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an aerial application flight, the helicopter was climbing out from a spray pass along a narrow field when the tail rotor hit a dead tree limb. The helicopter started spinning to the right, entered an uncontrolled descent, and impacted the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and fuselage. The pilot and operator reported that there were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
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
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Awareness of condition
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,195 hours in all; 314 in this make and model; 122 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 1,145 as pilot in command; 585 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 31, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 645 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 13, 2024; 45 hours since
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE-1A5 (piston); 1,718 hours total
- Operator: Nordwald Aviation Services LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 6:35 pm from KMYJ, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMYJ 042335Z AUTO 29006KT 10SM SCT037 BKN048 28/22 A2987 RMK AO2
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 October 22, 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 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN24LA252 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photographs CEN24LA252 | PDF, 3 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 CEN24LA252.