Robinson Helicopter R44 accident near Park City, Utah, July 6, 2025
On July 6, 2025 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 2002 Robinson Helicopter R44, registered N715SG, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Park City, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm during an approach to landing in a mountainous area, which resulted in a collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 2025 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Park City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R44, built 2002 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N715SG · registry record · serial 1261
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of a helicopter reported that, after performing a series of reconnaissance passes, followed by an out of ground effect hover power check, he decided to fly an approach to a mountain meadow. During the approach to landing, the pilot slowed the descent rate and realized the rotor rpm had decayed rapidly. The pilot lowered the collective and applied forward cyclic to increase airspeed to regain rotor rpm but was unable to recover. He then lowered the collective to enter an autorotation. Upon touchdown, the tail skid struck the ground, the helicopter pitched forward, and the main rotor impacted terrain. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom and the horizontal and vertical stabilizers. The pilot reported no mechanical issues with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor system › Main rotor blade system › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,003 hours in all; 230 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 13, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,083.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540F1 SERIE (piston); 1,083 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KSVR West Jordan UT at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 16,000 ft; a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 11:55 am from KHCR, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KHCR 031955Z AUTO 24013KT 10SM FEW120 BKN160 27/06 A3005 RMK AO2 T02750062 $=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 5, 2025. 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 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR25LA203.