Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Barranquitas, Puerto Rico, January 2, 2015
On January 2, 2015 at about 8:40 pm local time, a 2007 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N3183T, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Barranquitas, Puerto Rico (Ridge Line airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while landing which resulted in a tailrotor ground strike and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 2, 2015 · about 8:40 pm local time
- Place
- Barranquitas, Puerto Rico · Ridge Line · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, built 2007
- Registration
- N3183T · no longer on the register · serial 11550
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After renting the helicopter from a flight school, the pilot took off and flew to a nearby town where he picked up two passengers. He then flew them to another town to attend a party. During the flights everything was normal. Upon arrival at their destination, the pilot began to circle and asked one of the passengers to call a friend who was on the ground on his cell phone, to check the landing area to make sure it was clear for him to land. After the pilot was told it was "clear for landing," he started a smooth descent "with all of the instruments in the green arc," to the landing area which was located on a dirt road on the ridge of a mountain. The landing was smooth and the pilot touched down lightly on the skids. While the helicopter had not fully set down and was still light on the skids, he began to check the "balance of the helicopter" before setting the collective to the full down position. When he moved the cyclic forward, the helicopter pitched forward. Then when he moved the cyclic aft to its previous position, the helicopter pitched aft and he heard a "big noise" and felt a vibration. He immediately "pulled" collective and rolled the throttle to the full throttle position to get the helicopter back into the air but, the helicopter started to spin clockwise and he could not stop the rotation, even with the application of full left pedal. He then leveled the helicopter while it was still spinning and tried to make it back to the landing site but, there was not enough power to keep it airborne. The left skid then contacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over on to its left side. Postaccident examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the tail rotor assembly and tail boom were substantially damaged.
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
- Tailstrike during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Loss of tail rotor effectiveness during maneuvering (hover)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Incorrect use/operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 583 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 504 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 17, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 451.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 8, 2014; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 451 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Vega Baja PR at 8:30 pm
- Destination: NONE Barranquitas PR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 8:56 pm from TJSJ, 24 miles away
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
8 documents, released by the NTSB on May 15, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot’s Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Satellite Image of Accident Site Location | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Reports and Recorders – Tjsj Metars and Tafs | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 1 – Landing Site – Courtesy of Aircraft Operator | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 2 – Main Wreckage – Courtesy of FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 3 – Close Up of Tail Boom – Courtesy of FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo 4 – After Recovery of Wreckage – Courtesy of FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.