Robinson R44 II crash near Stroe, Netherlands

A HeliFlights Robinson R44 Raven II (D-HNOC, manufactured 2006) crashed near Stroe during a positioning flight because ground handling wheels were not removed before departure. While hover taxiing, the left wheel fell off. The right wheel's lifting handle hit the ground, pivoting the helicopter left. The tail struck the ground and broke off with the tail rotor. The helicopter rolled onto its side. The pilot was uninjured but the helicopter was damaged beyond repair. Robinson subsequently developed improved ground handling wheels for new and existing aircraft.