Robinson Helicopter R44 accident near Decatur, Texas, September 19, 2025
On September 19, 2025 at about 3:07 pm local time, a 2013 Robinson Helicopter R44, registered N831VA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Decatur, Texas (Decatur Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of control during an off-airport, pinnacle landing, and the flight instructor’s inadequate supervision of the instructional flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 2025 · about 3:07 pm local time
- Place
- Decatur, Texas · Decatur Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R44, built 2013 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N831VA · registry record · serial 13477
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported the instructional flight initially proceeded without incident. The plan was for the pilot-receiving-instruction to work on off-airport, pinnacle landings. The pilot’s first steep approach was completed with no issues. They moved about one-half mile to the west, and the pilot initiated an approach to an elevated dirt road. The road had a hump in the middle, and the pilot intentionally remained light on the skids to ensure a stable set down. However, as the nose of the helicopter began to rise due to the hump in the road, the tail rotor blades contacted the ground. The pilot subsequently lost control of the helicopter. The helicopter came to rest on a descending embankment from the road. The forward portion of the left landing skid, the tail skid, and the aft portion of the tail boom separated. One tail rotor blade was separated near mid-span and located at the accident site. Damage to the outboard leading edge of one main rotor blade appeared consistent with contact to the tail boom. The flight instructor stated there were no failures or malfunctions associated with the helicopter before the accident. He also noted that becoming more familiar with the helicopter before moving to complex maneuvers such as an off-airport, pinnacle landing might have resulted in a different outcome.
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 on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 334 hours in all; 168 in this make and model; 82 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 277 as pilot in command; 46 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 18, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 150 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 52 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 105 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 28, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,633.5 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 27, 2025; 70.9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 3,363 hours total
- Operator: Veracity Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: AFW Fort Worth TX at 2:40 pm
- Destination: AFW Fort Worth TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway N/A
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 am from KLUD, 3 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLUD 191515Z AUTO 09007KT 10SM CLR 25/18 A3009
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 6 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Helicopter at accident site (FAA photo)
Photograph 2 – Helicopter at accident site (FAA photo)
Photograph 3 – Tail boom (FAA photo)
Photograph 4 – Tail rotor blade fragment (FAA photo)
Photograph 5 – Tail rotor assembly (FAA photo)
Photograph 6 – Tail boom / vertical stabilizers (FAA photo)The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on October 17, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 7 pages · our copy | 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.