Robinson R44 accident near Lantana, Florida, July 27, 2018
On July 27, 2018 at about 10:45 pm local time, a 2007 Robinson R44 (helicopter), registered N479AT, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lantana, Florida (Palm Beach County Park airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s improper pitch control during landing, 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
- July 27, 2018 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lantana, Florida · Palm Beach County Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 Undesignat, built 2007 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N479AT · no longer on the register · serial 1768
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter instructor reported that, during the approach to land, about 5 ft above the ground, the student pilot overcorrected and moved the cyclic "back hard and slightly right." The right rear skid contacted the ground, and the helicopter rolled to the right. The main rotor blades struck the ground, and the helicopter came to rest on its right side. The student reported that he believed the skid strike and unusual attitude were caused by his inexperience. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor blades, the fuselage, and the tailboom. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Dynamic rollover during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,188.3 hours in all; 163.8 in this make and model; 179.1 in the last 90 days; 58.5 in the last 30 days; 1,136.5 as pilot in command; 841.4 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 19, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 278 hours in all; 3.2 in this make and model; 13.3 in the last 90 days; 3.2 in the last 30 days; 278 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 8, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,720.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 4, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 (piston); 3,745 hours total
- Operator: Airmen Testing And Training Inc Dba
The flight
- Departed from: LNA Lantana FL at 10:15 pm
- Destination: LNA Lantana FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 16, 3,421 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 pm from KPBI, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 1, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | CFI Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Student Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Accident Picture | 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.
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.