Robinson R44 accident near Austell, Georgia, November 18, 2020
On November 18, 2020 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 2007 Robinson R44 (helicopter), registered N442JP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Austell, Georgia (None airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to maintain adequate clearance above the gravel surface in a hover, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2020 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Austell, Georgia · None · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II, built 2007 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N442JP · registry record · serial 11960
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and student pilot were practicing approaches off-airport in the helicopter, and the flight instructor was demonstrating a slope landing. The flight instructor described that while in the hover, the helicopter suddenly pitched up 10-20°, followed by a pitch down of a like amount. The main rotor subsequently impacted the ground and the helicopter rolled over onto its left side, which resulted in substantial damage to the tail boom, main rotor, and fuselage. The flight instructor reported that there no preaccident mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. Photographs of the accident site showed that the surface the hover was being performed over was an open area of uneven gravel. In a statement to a law enforcement officer who responded to the accident, the flight instructor described that the helicopter’s skid had contacted the gravel and the helicopter then flipped over. Given this information, it is likely that during the hover, the helicopter inadvertently contacted the gravel surface, which initiated a dynamic rollover event from which the flight instructor could not recover.
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
- Dynamic rollover during maneuvering (hover) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 21,200 hours in all; 12 in the last 30 days; 250 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,977.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 17, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PUJ Atlanta GA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: PDK Atlanta GA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.51 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from FTY, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 24, 2021. 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 | Flight Instructor Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record (Police Officer) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | 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.