Robinson R22 - BETA accident near Moscow Mills, Missouri, June 19, 2014
On June 19, 2014 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Robinson R22 - BETA (helicopter), registered N784SH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Moscow Mills, Missouri (Greensfield Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action to correct the student pilot’s use of an excessive descent rate 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
- June 19, 2014 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Moscow Mills, Missouri · Greensfield Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 - BETA · all R22 - BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N784SH · no longer on the register · serial 3622
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, about 1 hour into the instructional flight, the student pilot began to perform a practice 180-degree autorotation. While the helicopter was about 100 ft above ground level, the flight instructor noted that the helicopter was descending at an excessive rate, so he took the flight controls and added power in an attempt to flare the helicopter before it touched down. However, the flight instructor was unable to arrest the descent rate, and the helicopter impacted the ground hard. Examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Autorotation Loss of control in flight defining event
- Autorotation Attempted remediation/recovery
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Hard landing during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not specified
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,318 hours in all; 558 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 1,244 as pilot in command; 945 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 6, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 71 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 111 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 15, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 111 hours total
- Operator: Helicopter Services And Technologies, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Moscow Mills MO at 2:30 pm
- Destination: M71 Moscow Mills MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,227 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from FYG, 19 miles away
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.
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.