Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Natchez, Mississippi, September 13, 2026
On September 13, 2026 at about 11:20 pm local time, a 2006 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N7527L, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Natchez, Mississippi (Natchez Adams County Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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 complete a preflight weight and balance calculation, which resulted in a center of gravity beyond the forward limit, and adversely affected the helicopter’s controllability during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 13, 2026 · about 11:20 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Natchez, Mississippi · Natchez Adams County Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, built 2006
- Registration
- N7527L · registry record · serial 11150
- 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 he completed a preflight inspection, then departed on a local personal flight. During the flight, he contacted and invited three people for a local sightseeing flight. He estimated the weights of each passenger and believed the helicopter would be under the maximum gross weight for the passenger flight. The pilot loaded the heaviest passenger up front and the other two in the rear seats. During takeoff, as he applied throttle and collective the helicopter became light on its skids and all engine indications were normal. Immediately after the helicopter became airborne, it pitched nose down and accelerated forward. Despite subsequent control inputs, the pilot was unable to arrest the helicopter’s forward motion and descent, which resulted in the main rotor blade and right skid contacting the ground. The helicopter came to rest on its right side, and the main rotor blades, fuselage, and tailboom were substantially damaged during the accident sequence. The pilot stated that after the accident he calculated the weight and balance and determined that the helicopter’s center of gravity was beyond the forward limit. He reported that during the flight just prior to picking up the passengers, there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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 takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weight/balance calculations › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Attain/maintain not possible
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,848.3 hours in all; 146.1 in this make and model; 10.3 in the last 90 days; 10.3 in the last 30 days; 1,803 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 20, 2026
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,343 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 13, 2026; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 2,341 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Church Hill MS at 11:15 pm
- Destination: Natchez MS
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from KHEZ, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KHEZ 132256Z AUTO 23005KT 10SM CLR 33/23 A2998 RMK AO2 LTG DSNT E AND SE AND W SLP150 T03330228 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N7527L on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 1,044 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Hardy-Anders Fld/Natchez-Adams County · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Mississippi 845 since 1982 · 90 in the last ten years
- Mississippi 2,604 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN26LA317.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.