NTSB CEN15CA093 — 2014-12-29 · Horseshoe Bay, Texas, United States

N174CD has since been reassigned. It is now registered to a different aircraft (CIRRUS DESIGN SR20), which was not involved in this event.

Aircraft involved

N174CD ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II None

Probable cause & findings

The helicopter's contact with the landing pad during a rejected landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot attempted to land the helicopter on a landing cart. As the helicopter's skids contacted the cart, the helicopter began to slide forward and to the left. The pilot aborted the landing and brought the helicopter back to a hover. During the maneuver, the tail boom stinger contacted the landing cart and the helicopter nosed over. The helicopter touched down and rolled on to its side, causing substantial damage to the tail boom, fuselage, and rotor system. The pilot reported a variable wind and a developing tailwind during the landing. The pilot attempted to land the helicopter on a landing cart. As the helicopter's skids contacted the cart, the helicopter began to slide forward and to the left. The pilot aborted the landing and brought the helicopter back to a hover. During the maneuver, the tail boom stinger contacted the landing cart and the helicopter nosed over. The helicopter touched down and rolled on to its side, causing substantial damage to the tail boom, fuselage, and rotor system. The pilot reported a variable wind and a developing tailwind during the landing. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Pitch control-Not attained/maintained - C

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2014_CEN15CA093.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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