Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Tahlequah, Oklahoma, October 14, 2009
On October 14, 2009 at about 9:50 am local time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N3234G, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's impairment due to recent heavy use of methamphetamine, recent use of a narcotic pain reliever, and fatigue. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of instrument experience and training.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 14, 2009 · about 9:50 am local time
- Place
- Tahlequah, Oklahoma · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N3234G · registry record · serial 4114
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to family and friends, the pilot had been up all night watching movies with friends. The pilot intended to go hunting the morning of the accident with a friend and wanted to put his helicopter away before the trip. He scheduled to meet his friend at the airport; however, the helicopter never arrived at the airport. The wreckage was found two days later in a field just south of the departure point. Ground scars and wreckage distribution was consistent with controlled flight into terrain. An examination of the helicopter and its systems revealed no anomalies. Weather at the time of the accident was 400 feet overcast with visibility restricted due to mist. The pilot was not certified for instrument flight and there was no evidence that he had received any instrument training or that he was current for night flight. The helicopter was not certified for instrument flight and there was no record indicating that the pilot had obtained a weather briefing from a recorded source. Toxicology findings were consistent with recent use of impairing doses of a narcotic pain reliever (prescribed the day prior to the accident following a dental procedure) and recent heavy use of methamphetamine. The pilot did not report a history of substance dependence, illicit substance use, or his history of multiple alcohol related traffic offenses to the FAA.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low visibility › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Drizzle/mist › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Illicit drug › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 85 hours in all; 85 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 31, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,543 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 27, 2009
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Tahlequah OK at 9:45 am
- Destination: KTQH Tahlequah OK
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 400 ft; ovct at 400 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:32 am from KTQH, 3 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.