Robinson R44 accident near Novo Horizonte, Br, July 16, 2010
On July 16, 2010 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Robinson R44 (helicopter), registered PRTNB, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Novo Horizonte. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2010 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Novo Horizonte, Brazil · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- PRTNB · no longer on the register · serial 10537
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On July 16, 2010, about 1645 Universal Coordinated Time (UTC), a Robinson R-44 helicopter, Brazilian registration PR-TNB, operated by Pereira Alvim Participacoes e Empreendimentos Ltda, was destroyed by fire after landing in a cane field at Novo Horizonte, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The flight was en route from a private farm in the State of Sao Paulo to Ribeirao Preto (SBRP), State of Sao Paulo. The pilot was not injured, while one passenger had minor injuries and a second passenger was killed. This investigation is under jurisdiction of the Government of Brazil. This report is for informational purposes only and contains information released by the Government of Brazil. For further information contact: Aeronautical Accident Prevention and Investigation Center SHIS – QI 05 – VI COMAR Brasilía-DF, Brazil 71.615-600 Tel: +55 61 3364 8800 Fax: +55 61 3365 1004 dipaa@cenipa.aer.mil.br
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
- Fire/smoke (non-impact) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
Crew member
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: SBRP Ribeirao Preto
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.