Robinson R44 II N24DF
16 August 2025 · Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 16 August 2025 at about 16:50 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N24DF, operated by Cape Copters LLC, was involved in an accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States. 4 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.
The record
- Date
- at 16:50
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States
- Coordinates
- 37.2252, -89.5717
- Aircraft
- Robinson R44 II
- Registration
- N24DF
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Cape Copters LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Business
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- CEN25LA326
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Probable cause
The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.
Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.
Read the full NTSB narrative
On August 16, 2025, at 1150 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, N24DF was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The pilot and three passengers were not injured. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 air tour flight. The pilot reported that during an enroute descent towards his destination airport, he felt and heard a loud vibration and immediately started to lose tail rotor authority. During the vibration, he observed the alternator warning annunciator light illuminate but did not observe any reduction of rotor or engine RPM. The pilot decided to perform an autorotation to a nearby field. During the autorotation, the helicopter landed hard which resulted in the main rotor contacting the tail boom. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the main rotor, tail boom, tail rotor drive system, and tail rotor. The helicopter was retained for further examination.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R44 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Mar 2025 | Robinson R44 | Danville, Virginia, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 1 May 2025 | Robinson R44 | Shelford, Australia | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 15 May 2025 | Robinson R44 | International Waters, Ecuador | - | No injuries | - |
| 9 Jul 2025 | Robinson R44 II | Inlet, New York, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 29 Nov 2025 | Robinson R44 | Malawa, Poland | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Jan 2025 | Robinson R44 II | Buras, Louisiana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 Aug 2025 | Marshall Allen L RV6A | Centerview, Missouri, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 12 Jul 2025 | Game Composites GB1 GAMEBIRD | Tarkio, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Jul 2025 | Beechcraft 35 | Cedarcreek, Missouri, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 27 Aug 2025 | Cessna 340 | Kearney, Missouri, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 20 Dec 2025 | Cirrus SR22 | Springfield, Missouri, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Jul 2025 | Air Tractor AT-402A | Centralia, Missouri, United States | Edge Aviation LLC | Serious injuries | - |