Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Salt Lake City, Utah, July 16, 2010
On July 16, 2010 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N944DW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City Int. airport). It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control while attempting to move the helicopter laterally without first lifting it fully off its landing platform.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2010 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salt Lake City, Utah · Salt Lake City Int. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II
- Registration
- N944DW · no longer on the register · serial 10439
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had just landed the helicopter on a flatbed trailer when it was determined that it needed to be moved laterally in order for its skids to be correctly attached to the trailer. Therefore the pilot applied enough collective to make the helicopter "light on the skids," and then he applied cyclic input meant to slide the helicopter laterally. When the helicopter did not slide sideways as the pilot desired, he continued to apply left cyclic input, whereupon the helicopter suddenly began to move in a manner that resulted in it starting to fall off the trailer. During the pilot's attempt to regain directional control by lifting the helicopter clear of the trailer, its main rotor blades came in contact with the truck that the trailer was attached to. Once the blades contacted the truck, the helicopter rotated about 180 degrees and impacted the tarmac beside the trailer. Soon after it impacted the tarmac, a fast-growing fire began. During the accident sequence, an individual who was helping with the loading process was struck by a main rotor blade.
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 on ground defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,663 hours in all; 92 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 1,570 as pilot in command; 1,337 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 9, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,195 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 6, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: KSLC Salt Lake City UT at 9:30 pm
- Destination: KSLC Salt Lake City UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 99°F (37°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.