The U.S. aircraft register, updated daily
Accidents · NTSB CEN16WA351 · Preliminary: the investigation is not finished

Robinson R22 accident near Aube, Fr, May 9, 2016

On May 9, 2016 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered GSPEE, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Aube. It was a personal flight under non-U.S. private rules. 1 person was killed.

The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged

The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.

Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.

What the record shows

Date
May 9, 2016 · about 7:50 pm local time
Place
Aube, France · map
Type
Accident
Injuries
1 person was killed.
Weather
not recorded
Aircraft
Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
Registration
GSPEE · no longer on the register
Damage
Destroyed
Flight
Personal flight · non-U.S. private rules

The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English

What happened, in order

  1. Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during enroute defining event

The aircraft

  • Landing gear: fixed

Weather at the time

  • Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)

Injuries

FatalSeriousMinorNone
Flight crew1

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.