No fatalities

Helicopter Falls from Platform Trailer After Landing, Suffers Fire

Slaton, TX, United States

On September 18, 2012, a ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II operated by GB Aerial Applications, Inc was involved in an aviation accident near Slaton, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s misalignment of the helicopter during landing, which resulted in the helicopter’s fall from a raised platform. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

During positioning onto a platform trailer after a local flight, a helicopter began to slip. The pilot's collective input was unable to prevent the helicopter from falling left, resulting in main rotor ground impact, tail boom separation, and a post-crash fire that consumed most of the aircraft.

Incident Sequence

After completing a local flight, the pilot guided the helicopter onto a trailer specifically designed for its transport. The left skid initially contacted the metal platform, followed by the right skid being lowered into position. As the helicopter began to lose its grip on the trailer surface, the pilot increased collective pitch in an effort to regain stability. Instead, the helicopter rolled to the left, resulting in the main rotor blades striking the ground and the tail boom being detached from the airframe.

Damage and Fire

The helicopter came to rest on its skids. The fuel tank was breached during the sequence, leading to a post-impact fire. The fire consumed a majority of the helicopter's structure, causing extensive damage. The aircraft was largely destroyed by the flames.

Investigation Status

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under review. No further details about the pilot, environmental factors, or operational history have been released. The investigation aims to determine the exact chain of events that led to the loss of control and subsequent fire.

Contributing factors

Pilot