Robinson R22 accident near Midland, Texas, March 10, 2009
On March 10, 2009 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N456PH, was destroyed in an accident near Midland, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate clearance from a pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 2009 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Midland, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N456PH · registry record · serial 659M
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A local rancher contacted the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) and said there was a 2-year-old wrecked helicopter on his property, and he wanted permission to dispose of it. Unaware of such an accident, an FAA inspector went to the site and confirmed that an accident had occurred but had never been reported. He said that it appeared the helicopter had either been taking off or landing between two buildings when the main rotor blades struck a post. The uninjured pilot reportedly extricated himself and walked away. An examination of the helicopter revealed severed main rotor blades and a fractured and buckled transmission mast. The tail boom was severed just forward of the tail rotor, and separated at the engine cowling. The pilot's name does not appear in FAA's pilot database.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Collision during takeoff/land during unknown defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Pole › Response/compensation
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Qualification/certification › Pilot
Pilot
- Flight time: 1 hours in all; 1 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: Unknown
- Destination: Midland TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.