Robinson Helicopter CO R66 accident near Arlington, Texas, March 27, 2026
On March 27, 2026 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2024 Robinson Helicopter CO R66, registered N4059A, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Arlington, Texas (Arlington Municipal airport). It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain during the hover taxi.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2026 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Arlington, Texas · Arlington Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter CO R66, built 2024
- Registration
- N4059A · registry record · serial 1314
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he had requested flight following from the departure airport control tower. He had lifted off and was conducting a hover taxi along a taxiway as he attempted to enter the assigned transponder code. When he became distracted with the task, the helicopter drifted over the grass area adjacent to the taxiway. The tail of the helicopter inadvertently contacted the grass and the helicopter pitched forward and impacted the ground. The pilot shut down the engine and exited the helicopter with his passenger. The helicopter sustained damage to the tail rotor blades, vertical stabilizer, and landing skids. The pilot noted that entering the transponder code while on the ground before lifting off into the hover would have prevented the distraction and, likely, the accident. According to the pilot, there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter before the accident.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (to runway)
- Dragged wing/rotor/float/other during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Workload management › Task allocation › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,800 hours in all; 275 in this make and model; 38 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 4,700 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 23, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 5, 2025; 75 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,700 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rolls Royce 250-C300/A1 (turboshaft); 300 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GKY Arlington TX at 3:15 pm
- Destination: MDD Midland TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 12 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from KGKY
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGKY 271453Z 16012G19KT 10SM CLR 22/17 A3008
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 CEN26LA153.