Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Devine, Texas, October 5, 2015
On October 5, 2015 at about 8:50 pm local time, a 2015 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N174CD, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Devine, Texas. It was a business 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain obstacle clearance during the takeoff, which resulted in the helicopter striking power lines.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 5, 2015 · about 8:50 pm local time
- Place
- Devine, Texas · 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 II, built 2015
- Registration
- N174CD · registry record · serial 13863
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that during takeoff from a field next to an office building, the helicopter came in contact with one or two power lines, which caught on the left skid, and pulled the helicopter to the left. The main rotor blades contacted two power lines, and cut both of them. The pilot attempted to maintain control of the helicopter but it rolled to the left and impacted the ground. He reported that "the wires hit were invisible to me at the time of departure." A postflight inspection revealed substantial damage to the fuselage, the main rotor blade system, the tail boom, and the tail rotor blade system. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,244 hours in all; 366.8 in this make and model; 92 in the last 90 days; 38 in the last 30 days; 14,244 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 12, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33.4 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 33 hours total
- Operator: Over & Out INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DZB Horseshoe Bay TX at 1:30 pm
- Destination: 23R Devine TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 8:51 pm from KHDO, 19 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N174CD the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 GAA16CA006.