Robinson R-44 accident near Gallatin, Tennessee, November 3, 2008
On November 3, 2008, a Robinson R-44 (helicopter), registered N300FX, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Gallatin, Tennessee. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadvertent descent into water as a result of the dark night and limited outside visual references.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 3, 2008
- Place
- Gallatin, Tennessee · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-44 · all R-44s on the register
- Registration
- N300FX · registry record · serial 1102
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated private pilot was flying his second of two solo night flights for an add-on helicopter rating. He flew the same route as the previous evening but, due to a change from daylight savings time to standard time, he was flying the route an hour later. The end of nautical twilight was about 15 minutes before the accident and the moon was in its crescent phase. According to radar data, which did not include altitude readouts, the helicopter overflew a river leading to a small town, then followed the river, mid-stream, as it turned to the left. The helicopter then flew over a bridge and disappeared into the river on the other side. Examinations of the wreckage revealed no mechanical anomalies. The pilot did not hold an instrument rating and was conducting night operations over water, which likely resulted in spatial disorientation.
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 visual reference during enroute (descent)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during enroute (descent) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Contributed to outcome
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 210 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 60 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 685 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 1, 2008; 27 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-F1 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Noble Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: M54 Lebanon TN
- Destination: M88 Nashville TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.26 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.