Robinson R22 BETA N921U
8 April 2006 · Tooele, Utah, United States · Minor injuries
Summary
On 8 April 2006 at about 17:05 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N921U, operated by Upper Limit Aviation, was involved in an accident near Tooele, Utah, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 17:05
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Tooele, Utah, United States
- Nearest airport
- Bolinder Field - Tooele Valley (TVY)
- Coordinates
- 40.6122, -112.3508
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N921U
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Upper Limit Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Tooele → Salt Lake City
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- SEA06CA072
People
1 person had minor injuries.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during the takeoff initial climb, which resulted in an in-flight collision with the ground. A contributing factor was the gusty wind condition.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
According to the flight instructor, he and his student had landed at the airport to refuel before continuing their lesson. The wind speed was "17 gusting 24" knots. He restarted the helicopter and hovered to position it for takeoff. He began a climb to the southwest with an indicated airspeed of 45 knots. The instructor said that "upon reaching an altitude of 50-70 feet agl, the aircraft ceased climbing" and "began to be pushed aft and down." He attempted to regain control but was unsuccessful. The helicopter struck the ground in a level attitude, the front of the left skid caught in the soft uneven ground, and the helicopter rolled left. The main rotor blade struck the tail cone, and the helicopter came to rest on its left side. The pilot indicated there was no mechanical malfunction or failure of the helicopter prior to the accident.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Aug 2006 | Robinson R22 BETA | Frederick, Maryland, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Oct 2006 | Robinson R22 BETA | Monticello, Utah, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 15 Jan 2006 | Robinson R22 | Mariental, Namibia | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 17 Jan 2006 | Robinson R22 | Cape Point, South Africa | Starlight Aviation | Fatal | 1 |
| 24 Sep 2006 | Robinson R22 | Skiatook, Oklahoma, United States | Silver State Helicopters LLC. | No injuries | - |
| 10 Aug 2006 | Robinson R22 BETA | Tucson, Arizona, United States | Air Photo, Inc. | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jun 2006 | Piper PA-20 | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Craig T. Weaver | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jan 2006 | Beechcraft 35-A33 | Heber City, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 9 Jun 2006 | Lciv LANCAIR IV-P PROPJET | Provo, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 3 |
| 30 Aug 2006 | Cessna 182RG | Fairfield, Utah, United States | Civil Air Patrol | No injuries | - |
| 25 Jul 2006 | Spectrum Aeronautical 33 | Spanish Fork, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 25 Oct 2006 | Cessna 172M | Escalante, Utah, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |