No fatalities

ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 NO SERIES accident at Galveston, TX, 31 Dec 2024

Galveston, TX, United States

On December 31, 2024, a ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44 NO SERIES operated by Galveston Helicopter Adventures, LLC was involved in an aviation accident near Galveston, TX. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot’s failure to maintain terrain clearance during the takeoff from the helipad in high and gusting wind conditions, that resulted in the right skid extension embedding in the artificial turf, and a subsequent dynamic rollover sequence. 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

Probable cause

The pilot’s failure to maintain terrain clearance during the takeoff from the helipad in high and gusting wind conditions, that resulted in the right skid extension embedding in the artificial turf, and a subsequent dynamic rollover sequence.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

PilotAltitude — Not attained/maintainedEffect on equipmentDamaged/degraded