Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Mack, Colorado, August 14, 2010
On August 14, 2010 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N404LE, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Mack, Colorado (Mack-Mesa Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 2010 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Mack, Colorado · Mack-Mesa Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N404LE · no longer on the register · serial 4040
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certificated flight instructor (CFI) and his student were practicing a 180-degree autorotation with a power recovery occurring at the hover. The helicopter's sink rate increased dramatically in the flare, about 40 feet above the ground. The CFI initiated a go-around by increasing power, raising the collective, and pushing the cyclic forward. The helicopter continued to descend and contacted the runway in a level attitude. After it came to a stop, the CFI confirmed that the main rotor blade had struck the tail boom. The instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical deficiencies with the helicopter.
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › (general) › (general) › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,471 hours in all; 1,313 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
Crew member
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 72 hours in all; 72 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Grand Junction CO
- Destination: C07 Mack CO
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 07
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N404LE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.