Robinson R44 accident near Hayward, CA
On July 15, 2019, a Robinson R44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Hayward, CA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- July 15, 2019
- Place
- Hayward, CA
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 37.656°N, 122.124°W
- NTSB ID
- 20190715X91456
Official records · WPR19FA188
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- FAA Air Traffic Control Accident Report Excerpt: Document (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn July 15, 2019, about 1426 Pacific daylight time, a Robinson R-44 II helicopter, N144TG, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident at Hayward Executive Airport (HWD), Hayward, California. The flight instructor was fatally injured, and the student pilot was seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The accident flight data was compiled from a combination of archived Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) air traffic control (ATC) audio and radar data acquired from a commercially available third party. Following several rounds in the helicopter airport traffic pattern, the flight instructor and student pilot performed hovering maneuvers on a taxiway designated for helicopter training. At 1422, the instructor requested to takeoff, but ATC denied the request and asked the flight instructor to standby. GPS flight tracking data showed the helicopter continue to hover for several seconds before slowly maneuvering west and then entering a left turn over a patch of hard dirt and vegetation to the southwest of the taxiway. A surveillance video retrieved from an adjacent building that faced northeast captured the helicopter’s shadow during its final movements. The shadow of the helicopter entered the camera view from the left with its nose facing west. After a brief side hover to the left, in a southern direction, the helicopter performed a rapid turn to the southeast and its speed over the ground increased from about 2.5 mph to about 18 mph. In its final movements, the hel
Probable cause
The pilots’ loss of control during a low altitude maneuver for undetermined reasons, which resulted in impact with terrain.
More accidents in CA
- Douglas MD-83, Feb 1, 2000
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-9-32, Aug 31, 1986
- British Aerospace BAE-146-200, Dec 8, 1987
- Beech C-99, Aug 24, 1984
- Sikorsky S-61N, Aug 6, 2008
Browse: California · 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.
