RotorAlert
Incidents→🇺🇸 United States→2019-01-02
Incident report

Robinson R44 crash near Santa Maria Island, Florida, United States

serious2019-01-02
Summary

The pilot's loss of helicopter control while maneuvering at a low altitude after being struck in the head by a bird.

Incident details
Date
2019-01-02
Location
Santa Maria Island, Florida, United States
Aircraft
Robinson R44
Operator type
civil
Fatalities
0
Injuries
2
Probable cause
Mechanical failure
Phase of flight
cruise
Weather
VMC
Source
NTSB CAROL ↗
27.5000, -82.7467
Quick stats
Severityserious
Fatalities0
Injuries2
SourceNTSB CAROL
Other incidents in United States
—minor
Washington D.C., United States
Sikorsky VH-92
—minor
Arlington, United States
Sikorsky VH-92
2026-07-27serious
Opp, United States
Eurocopter UH-72A
2026-07-21serious
Ada, United States
Bell 206B
Other Robinson incidents
2026-07-22fatal
Ankara, Turkey
Robinson R44 — 1 fatalities
2026-07-11minor
Trzebiatów, Poland
Robinson R44
2026-06-06serious
Baja California, Mexico
Robinson R44 II
2026-05-29fatal
Dawsonville, United States
Robinson R66 — 2 fatalities
← Back to all incidents
See something wrong or have more info?
Help us improve this incident record with corrections, additional details, or sources.
Submit info
ShareX / TwitterFacebookWhatsAppLinkedIn
2019-01-02 — Robinson R44 — Santa Maria Island, United States | RotorAlert