Robinson R-44 accident near Wadsworth, Illinois, July 23, 2006
On July 23, 2006 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Robinson R-44 (helicopter), registered N454WT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wadsworth, Illinois. 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 inadvertently pulled back on the cyclic when birds flew into the windscreen. A factor associated with the accident were the birds.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2006 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wadsworth, Illinois · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-44 · all R-44s on the register
- Registration
- N454WT · registry record · serial 1042
- 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 the tail rotor contacted water during landing. The pilot reported that he was landing near a "decorative pond" at a country club when the accident occurred. He said that he flew over the landing area and did not notice any obstructions. He reported that unknown to him at the time, there were ducks along the bank of the pond. The ducks flew up into the windscreen at which time he pulled back on the cyclic and the tail rotor contacted the water. The pilot reported that he then entered an autorotation, touching down on the bank of the pond.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 110 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 53 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 18 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ENW Kenosha WI at 5:00 pm
- Destination: Wadsworth IL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.