Robinson R44 accident near Straubing, De, March 31, 2011
On March 31, 2011 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Robinson R44, registered DHBLT, was destroyed in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Straubing (Straubing-Wallmühle airport). It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 31, 2011 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Straubing, Germany · Straubing-Wallmühle · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- DHBLT · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 31, 2011, at 1630 universal coordinated time, a Robinson R44 Raven II Helicopter, D-HBLT, collided with an aircraft storage hangar at Straubing-Wallmühle Airport, Straubing, Germany. The pilot and passenger sustained minor injuries; the helicopter was destroyed by post-accident fire. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of Germany. This report is for information purposes only, and contains only information released by the Government of Germany. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Investigation Hermann-Blenk-Str. 16 38108 Braunschweig Germany Tel.: (49) 531 3548 0 E-mail: box@bfu-web.de Fax: (49) 531 3548 246 Telex: 952749 ACCID D Website: http://www.bfu-web.de
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering (hover) defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: EDMS Straubing
- Destination: EDMS Straubing
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.