Robinson R44 accident near Cass, AR
On June 3, 2019, a Robinson R44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Cass, AR. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- June 3, 2019
- Place
- Cass, AR
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 35.705°N, 93.795°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190604X92721
Official records · CEN19FA160
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 2, 2019, about 1950 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, N41351, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cass, Arkansas. The pilot and two passengers were fatally injured, and one passenger survived with serious injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 sightseeing flight. The helicopter flew passengers from a local music festival over the densely wooded area to the south of the performance arena. The helicopter was reported overdue and was located by search and rescue crews in a densely wooded area of the Ozark National Forest. There were no witnesses to the accident. A witness recalled seeing the helicopter while camping at the music festival. He saw the helicopter flying in an area different from the previous flights. He saw the helicopter’s nose pitch “dramatically” up. The helicopter climbed and then its climb stopped, sliding backwards tail first before the nose of the helicopter pitched rapidly down. The helicopter then entered a right turn and descended out of his view. He did not witness an impact and did not know about the accident until after viewing news reports. It is unknown if this was the accident sequence or if he witnessed a previous flight. The survivor of the accident was unable to provide a statement to investigators. During media interviews he stated that “the helicopter started chugging like your car does when it runs out of fuel. The engine cut and we started dropping.” A review of Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) info
Probable cause
A loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
More accidents in AR
- Beech 65-A80, May 16, 2005
- Cessna 208B, Apr 28, 2001
- Piper PA-23-250, Nov 17, 2002
- Grumman G1159, Jan 19, 1990
- Piper PA-31-350, May 8, 2005
Browse: Arkansas · Robinson aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
