Robinson R22 accident near Charlotte, Texas, January 24, 2020
On January 24, 2020 at about 11:50 pm local time, a 1998 Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N8364Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Charlotte, Texas. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from a powerline during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 24, 2020 · about 11:50 pm local time
- Place
- Charlotte, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA, built 1998 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N8364Y · no longer on the register · serial 2793
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the helicopter stated that, during landing, his vision was obscured by the sun and dust from the helicopter's rotor wash. The pilot performed a pedal turn, during which the tail rotor impacted a powerline that was next to a road. The helicopter began to spin, the pilot pulled back on the cyclic and lowered the collective, and the helicopter subsequently impacted the ground. The accident is consistent with the pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from the powerline during landing.
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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › (general) › (general) › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 769 hours in all; 608 in this make and model; 63 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 769 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 10, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,026 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 26, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,369 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 4,752 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Charlotte TX at 11:45 pm
- Destination: Charlotte TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 16, 2021. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.