Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II N276RC accident near Tulsa, Oklahoma

Probable cause

The line technician’s failure to remove the refueling mat from the helicopter fuselage following servicing, which resulted in the mat striking the tail rotor in flight, and the pilot’s inadequate preflight inspection.

NTSB analysis

After fuel servicing, the line technician did not remove the rubber fueling mat from the fuselage. The pilot did not observe the mat on the fuselage before taking off, most likely due to his inadequate preflight inspection of the helicopter. While climbing through 150 feet above ground level, the fueling mat departed the fuselage and impacted the tail rotor, which resulted in the fracture of both tail rotor blades and a loss of tail rotor control. The pilot executed an autorotation landing and landed without further incident.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN13LA155 for the full record.