Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Ogdensburg, New York, November 18, 2023
On November 18, 2023 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N789GR, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Ogdensburg, New York (Ogdensburg International Airpo airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of control of the helicopter during taxi, which resulted in rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2023 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Ogdensburg, New York · Ogdensburg International Airpo · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II
- Registration
- N789GR · registry record · serial 10982
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the helicopter was practicing some maneuvers in the vicinity of his local airport. Upon completion of these maneuvers, while taxiing towards his hangar, the pilot reported that the helicopter began to yaw to the right. The pilot described that he was about a 1 ft above and that once one of the helicopter’s skids contacted the ground, he was unable to regain control and the helicopter rolled over. The helicopter’s fuselage, main rotor blades, and tailboom were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no pre-accident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation, nor were any discovered during a postaccident examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector.
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 on ground during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,300 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 800 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 22, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,141 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 2023; 103 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 (piston); 1,141 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.86 inHg
- Observation at 1:35 pm from OGS
Weather report (METAR): METAR KOGS 181835Z AUTO VRB04G13KT 10SM CLR 04/M06 A2986 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 19, 2024. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Interview Summary, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 3 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.