Robinson R44 accident near Lebanon, Missouri, June 9, 2019
On June 9, 2019 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 2019 Robinson R44 (helicopter), registered N724H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Lebanon, Missouri. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of yaw control and failure to maintain a proper descent rate and his subsequent improper use of the collective instead of the antitorque pedals to correct the yaw, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2019 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lebanon, Missouri · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II, built 2019 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N724H · registry record · serial 14293
- 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, during a vertical descent into a privately owned field and while the helicopter was about 20 ft about ground level, the helicopter yawed right. He then lowered the collective, and the helicopter continued to yaw right, descended, and landed hard. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the cabin assembly. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot added that he mistook the right yaw for a loss of tail rotor effectiveness and should have applied pedal corrections.
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 in flight during landing defining event
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 249 hours in all; 212 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 154 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 88.3 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hendricks Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: TBN Fort Leonard Wood MO at 5:45 pm
- Destination: PVT Lebanon MO
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from KLBO, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 16, 2020. 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 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Statement to the FAA | 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.