Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Phoenix, Arizona, September 30, 2021
On September 30, 2021 at about 3:15 pm local time, a 2006 Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N74706, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Phoenix, Arizona. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain helicopter control while making a clearing turn 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
- September 30, 2021 · about 3:15 pm local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, built 2006
- Registration
- N74706 · no longer on the register · serial 11065
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, while making a clearing turn, the wind caught the tail and abruptly spun the helicopter. He applied corrective pedal inputs then raised the collective to avoid the ground and the helicopter began to rotate clockwise about the vertical axis and could not be corrected by application of left pedal. About 50 to 60 ft above the ground, he entered an autorotation where the helicopter landed hard and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot 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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (hover)
- Hard landing during landing
- Other weather encounter during maneuvering (hover)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 58.2 hours in all; 58 in this make and model; 58 in the last 90 days; 18.1 in the last 30 days; 8.7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,444.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 21, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 3,520 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDL Scottsdale AZ at 2:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KDVT, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDVT 301553Z AUTO 07009KT 10SM CLR 25/12 A2996 RMK AO2 SLP125 T02500117
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on December 9, 2021. 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 | Photos | 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.
Other NTSB records under N74706 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.