Robinson Helicopter Company R44 accident near Spofford, Texas, February 19, 2017
On February 19, 2017 at about 3:45 pm local time, a 2006 Robinson Helicopter Company R44, registered N804DF, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Spofford, Texas (Frontier airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's decision to hover-taxi out of the hangar and his subsequent failure to maintain clearance from the hangar.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2017 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Spofford, Texas · Frontier · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, built 2006
- Registration
- N804DF · no longer on the register · serial 11265
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the skid-equipped helicopter reported that, the night before the accident flight, he hover-taxied into a hangar because convective activity was approaching the airport and he did not have ground-handling equipment (wheels) to move the helicopter. The following morning, he attempted to hover-taxi out of the hangar for a positioning flight, but the main rotor blade struck the top of the hangar door when the helicopter was about three-quarters of the way out of the hangar. Subsequently, the helicopter spun and rolled over onto its left side. The main rotor and tailboom sustained substantial damage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter 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 with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi (to runway)
- Loss of control in flight during taxi (to runway) defining event
- Roll over during taxi (to runway)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Residence/building › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Residence/building › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,905 hours in all; 1,905 in this make and model; 39 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 6,815 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 29, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,953 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 18, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 1,953 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 55XS Spofford TX at 4:00 pm
- Destination: HDO Hondo TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from KDRT, 29 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 3, 2017. 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, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Pilot in Command) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
Other NTSB records under N804DF the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.