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Helicopter Collision with Trees After Door Opened During Departure

Austin, TX, United States

On July 4, 2010, a ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II was involved in an aviation accident near Austin, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter, resulting in impact with trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to ensure the door was properly secured prior to flight. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-09-03Data APIEditorial standards

A helicopter struck trees and made a hard landing shortly after departing a private heli-pad when the pilot's door opened. The pilot reported distraction while closing the door, and the aircraft sustained bent and separated rotor blades and a bent fuselage.

Incident Overview and Pilot Account A helicopter departed a private heli-pad when the pilot's door opened. The pilot stated that he became distracted while attempting to close the door and subsequently struck trees, resulting in a hard landing. The pilot reported that there was nothing wrong with the helicopter prior to impact. ## Damage Findings Examination of the helicopter revealed that some of the main rotor blades were bent and separated. The fuselage was also bent. The source did not identify the aircraft type, registration, operator, date, location, or a formal cause determination.

Contributing factors

Causes

Directional control — Not attained/maintained

Other contributing factors

Pilot

Related events

Same aircraft family

  • 13 Sep 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II (Chop Air LLC)
  • 11 Sep 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
  • 3 Sep 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA (Spitzer Helicopter LLC)
  • 24 Aug 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA (AMS Flight School)
  • 15 Aug 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
  • 13 Aug 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II (Collin Johnson)
  • 9 Aug 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 (Cedar Ridge Aviation, LLC)
  • 2 Aug 2026 — Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II (DK Aircraft LLC)
  • 20 Jul 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 (Cedar Ridge Aviation)
  • 18 Jul 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 (Helicrop LLC)
  • 18 Jul 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44
  • 16 Jul 2026 — ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II (D&p LLC)

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 4 Jul 2010 ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II accident near Austin, TX?

A helicopter struck trees and made a hard landing shortly after departing a private heli-pad when the pilot's door opened. The pilot reported distraction while closing the door, and the aircraft sustained bent and separated rotor blades and a bent fuselage.

Were there any fatalities in the 4 Jul 2010 ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 4 Jul 2010 involved a ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II, at Austin, TX.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the helicopter, resulting in impact with trees. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to ensure the door was properly secured prior to flight.

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