Robinson R44 accident near Sanford, Maine, September 28, 2019
On September 28, 2019 at about 2:35 pm local time, a 2000 Robinson R44 (helicopter), registered N21EH, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Sanford, Maine (Sanford Seacoast Regional airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control while hover-taxiing in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 28, 2019 · about 2:35 pm local time · cases in 2019
- Place
- Sanford, Maine · Sanford Seacoast Regional · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 Undesignat, built 2000 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N21EH · registry record · serial 0881
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After completing a three-leg cross-country training flight in the helicopter, the solo student was hover-taxiing about 15 ft above the taxiway surface. Witnesses reported that gusting winds prevailed and that they saw the helicopter enter a spin, followed by a nose-low impact with the ground. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The pilot was seriously injured and unable to recall the accident sequence. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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 taxi (from runway) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 222 hours in all; 44 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,886 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 18, 2019; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,401 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 (piston); 1,886 hours total
- Operator: York County Helicopters
The flight
- Departed from: LCI Laconia NH at 2:00 pm
- Destination: SFM Sanford ME
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from SFM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 9 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – Main Wreckage (FAA Photo)
Photo 2 - Main Wreckage (FAA Photo)
Photo 3 - Main Wreckage (FAA Photo)
Photo 4 - Main Wreckage (FAA Photo)
Photo 5 – Tail Boom Damage (FAA Photo)
Photo 6 – Tail Rotor (FAA Photo)
Photo 7 – Cockpit Controls (FAA Photo)
Photo 8 – Engine Compartment (FAA Photo)
Photo 9 – Instrument Panel (FAA Photo)The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on May 6, 2020. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | NTSB Memorandum for Record - Tremblay | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Statement - Gingras | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Witness Statement - Hill | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Sanford Me Police Incident Report | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Memorandum of Record - Wreckage Exam | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Photo Array | PDF, 9 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 8 | Excerpts - Maintenance Logbooks | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N21EH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Robinson R44 1,948 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 299 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Sanford Seacoast Regional · nearest airport
- Laconia Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Maine 532 since 1982 · 69 in the last ten years
- Maine 1,425 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA19LA287.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.