Accident Details
On May 23, 2025, at approximately 0718 central daylight time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II helicopter, registration N1195P, was destroyed in an accident near Miami, Texas. The student pilot was fatally injured. The helicopter was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.
Flight History
The student pilot intended to fly from his home in Miami, Texas, to a personal appointment in Amarillo, Texas. He departed around 0711 and proceeded southwest. A person the pilot was scheduled to meet in Amarillo reported receiving a phone call from the pilot at 0712 while en route. During the conversation, the pilot expressed concern about fog. The call lasted about four minutes until the individual advised the pilot to hang up and focus on flying.
A local R44 pilot stated that he had canceled his own personal flight that morning in Canadian, Texas, approximately 20 nautical miles northeast of the accident site, due to low clouds and fog.
Witness Observations
A witness near the accident site reported hearing the helicopter approach from the east. Weather conditions at the time included fog, low clouds, and mist. The witness could not determine the exact altitude of the cloud layer because the fog was so low. The helicopter appeared as a dark silhouette; its color was not discernible. It was flying very low and seemed to struggle with control. The helicopter was traveling west when it descended below the terrain in a small valley, then climbed with the nose low and appeared to climb backward. After this backward climb, it leveled off briefly before making a rapid forward descent toward terrain in a relatively level attitude. During the rapid descent, the helicopter was heading east. The witness did not observe any parts detaching from the helicopter before impact. The helicopter struck the ground hard and exploded.
Accident Site and Damage
The accident site was located about 4.5 nautical miles southwest of the departure location in a cattle pasture. The helicopter impacted the ground facing east, then rotated left about 120 degrees before coming to rest. A post-impact fire consumed most of the fuselage and part of the tailcone. The initial impact mark consisted of a round impression in the dirt surrounded by pieces of the windshield and door frames. On either side of the impression were parallel impact marks and fragments of the skid tubes. One main rotor blade struck the ground near the initial impact mark. Prior to ground impact, the main rotor blades struck the aft portion of the tailboom, separating the empennage and tail rotor assembly. All major helicopter components were identified at the accident site.
Examination Findings
On-scene examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of preimpact malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation of the helicopter.
Weather Information
At 0715, the automated weather observation system at Perry Lefors Field Airport in Pampa, Texas, located about 15 miles southwest, reported wind from 140 degrees at 7 knots, visibility 5 statute miles in mist, overcast clouds at 400 feet above ground level, temperature 16°C, and dew point 16°C. The National Weather Service had issued a Graphic-AIRMET current for the accident time indicating instrument flight rules conditions due to visibility below 3 miles in fog/mist and ceilings below 1,000 feet. Meteorological data indicated low IFR and IFR conditions along the route of flight, and the fog stability index supported a high risk of radiation-type fog formation. There was no evidence that the pilot received a weather briefing before the flight.
Additional Information
A Spidertracks GPS unit recovered from the accident site was sent to the National Transportation Safety Board’s Vehicle Recorder Laboratory for data extraction. The pilot’s flight logbook was not recovered, but the pilot had reportedly accumulated about 150 total flight hours in the helicopter.