Robinson Helicopter R44 accident near Page, Arizona, November 11, 2017
On November 11, 2017 at about 8:00 pm local time, a 2008 Robinson Helicopter R44, registered N744BS, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Page, Arizona (Page Municipal Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control of the helicopter while transitioning from a hover to forward flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2017 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Page, Arizona · Page Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R44, built 2008 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N744BS · no longer on the register · serial 12374
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was conducting a personal flight in the helicopter to practice operating in the traffic pattern and performing landings and hovers. When the helicopter was transitioning from a hover to forward flight, the nose suddenly pitched down more than expected. The pilot immediately applied aft cyclic but was unable to arrest the downward pitch. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground and came to rest on its side. The passenger reported that first the skids and then the rotor blades contacted the ground. During a postaccident examination of the helicopter, flight control continuity was established with no anomalies noted that would have precluded normal operations. Thus, the pilot likely did not maintain a proper pitch attitude while transitioning to forward flight.
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 takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,200 hours in all; 3 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 16, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,424 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 1,424 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PGA Page AZ at 7:45 pm
- Destination: PGA Page AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 2,201 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PGA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on September 24, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Email - Passenger Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Conversation - Chief Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation Regarding Control Continuity | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.