Pilot Debrief

ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II near Stonewall, TX — 2026-03-24

Investigation ongoingCEN26LA148
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Date
2026-03-24
Location
Stonewall, TX, USA
Aircraft
ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
Registration
N233JD
Category
Helicopter
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0

Probable cause

NTSB has not published a probable cause for this accident yet. Preliminary reports describe what happened; the cause is determined later, often 12–24 months after the event.

NTSB narrative

On March 24, 2026, about 0930 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, N233JD, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Stonewall, Texas. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 aerial observation flight. According to the pilot, she conducted a normal preflight inspection of the helicopter and found no anomalies. She stated that the purpose of the flight was to use the helicopter to flush wildlife into an open pasture for observation. While in a hover, about 15 to 30 ft above the tree line, she heard a loud “pop” and felt the helicopter jerk. The helicopter immediately entered an uncontrolled descent into terrain. The pilot reported that the helicopter would not respond to inputs made with the anti-torque pedals. The pilot, passenger, and a witness reported hearing a loud “pop” from the helicopter before the sound of the engine went quiet. According to the passenger, the helicopter shook violently after the “pop” was heard and then rotated rapidly in a clockwise direction. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, the main rotor system, the tailboom, and the tail rotor system. The helicopter was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.

Preliminary NTSB coding

  • Low altitude operation/event · Maneuvering-low-alt flying
View NTSB preliminary report

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