Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta accident near Miamisburg, Ohio, November 19, 2021
On November 19, 2021 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1992 Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, registered N221HG, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Miamisburg, Ohio (Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the helicopter during a low-altitude hover shortly after liftoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 19, 2021 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Miamisburg, Ohio · Dayton-Wright Brothers Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta, built 1992 · all R22 Betas on the register
- Registration
- N221HG · registry record · serial 2197
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The solo student pilot reported that, just after liftoff and in a low-altitude hover, the helicopter “swung” to the left. The student pilot reported that he “overcorrected” with right pedal and aft cyclic inputs. The helicopter began to spin, and the student pilot pulled up to keep from hitting the ground. The student pilot reported remembering hitting the ground and rolling the throttle off. A security video showed that shortly after the helicopter lifted off into a low altitude hover it yawed left about 90° and descended before it moved aft and momentarily out of the camera’s view. When it reemerged, the helicopter was in a right spin and impacted the ramp in an upright attitude. The aft tail boom and tail rotor sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. There was another small helicopter operating near the accident helicopter at the time of the accident, however it is unlikely that the rotor wash from the other helicopter would have precluded the student pilot’s ability to maintain control his 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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 48 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,066.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 12, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 4,205 hours total
- Operator: Higher Ground Helicopters Of Cincinnati LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MGY Miamisburg OH at 4:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 39°F (4°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.53 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from MGY
Weather report (METAR): KMGY 191653Z AUTO 01008KT 10SM CLR 04/M06 A3053 RMK AO2 SLP347 T00391056
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on June 10, 2022. 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 | Helicopter Logbook (Excerpts) | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Security Video | video | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 2 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.