Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Ravenel, South Carolina, September 23, 2024
On September 23, 2024 at about 11:45 pm local time, a 2013 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N153LA, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Ravenel, South Carolina. It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain, which resulted in the right skid contacting the ground and a subsequent rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2024 · about 11:45 pm local time
- Place
- Ravenel, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, built 2013
- Registration
- N153LA · registry record · serial 13422
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he was performing low altitude practice maneuvers in a pasture. While performing a quick stop maneuver, the pilot stated that he didn’t realize how close he was to the ground. During the maneuver, the right skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The rollover and subsequent impact with terrain resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and tail boom. The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.
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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (hover) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,782 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,782 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 29, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,882.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 8, 2024; 21.5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 1,882 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from CHS, 12 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KCHS 232356Z 15007KT 10SM FEW030 FEW250 26/23 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP133 T02560228 10317 20256 51001
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 21, 2025. 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 | Mor - Pilot Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA24LA393.