Robinson Helicopter Company R22 accident near Hawley, Texas, April 5, 2022
On April 5, 2022 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2018 Robinson Helicopter Company R22, registered N999FR, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Hawley, Texas. It was a personal 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 pilot’s poor decision to exit the helicopter with the engine and main rotor still operating.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 5, 2022 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hawley, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R22, built 2018
- Registration
- N999FR · no longer on the register · serial 4792
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he landed and exited the helicopter and stood just outside of the door. The helicopter “picked up, spun around,” and knocked the pilot onto the ground. The helicopter came to rest on its left side resulting in substantial damage. The helicopter manufacturer had issued a safety notice SN-17 in 1984. The notice stated in part that the pilot should never exit the helicopter with the engine running and rotors turning as “the collective can creep up, increasing both pitch and throttle, allowing the helicopter to lift off or roll out of control.” The pilot stated that there were no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter that would have precluded normal operations.
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 on ground during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Unnecessary action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,285 hours in all; 12,177 in this make and model; 208 in the last 90 days; 70 in the last 30 days; 14,131 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 19, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,084 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 31, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360j2a (piston); 2,084 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Hawley TX at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 19 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 29.62 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from KDYS, 11 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KDYS 051556Z AUTO 23019G22KT 10SM CLR 25/06 A2962 RMK AO2 SLP998 T02470055
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 October 6, 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 | NTSB Form 6120 Pilot Operator Report CEN22LA167 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array CEN22LA167 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Robinson Safety Notice Sn 17 CEN22LA167 | PDF, 1 page | 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.