Robinson Helicopter R44 accident near Beardsley, Minnesota, August 30, 2022
On August 30, 2022 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1998 Robinson Helicopter R44, registered N7048C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Beardsley, Minnesota. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the approach to land that resulted in an excessive descent rate and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2022 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Beardsley, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R44, built 1998 · all R44s on the register
- Registration
- N7048C · registry record · serial 0531
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the air tour flight reported that he was performing a pedal turn to put the nose of the helicopter into the wind for landing when he overshot the turn with the tail. The pilot tried to correct by performing another rotation, but the low rotor rpm light illuminated, and the low rpm horn sounded. The pilot attempted to lower the collective to regain forward airspeed, but the helicopter landed hard on the skids, bounced, and rolled over onto its left side. A witness reported that the helicopter approached from the north and entered a spiral descent before “it went down” from an altitude of about 80-100 ft. above ground level. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor blades, and tail rotor blades. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions that would have precluded normal helicopter 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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 792 hours in all; 504 in this make and model; 105 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 648 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 22, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,474.7 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 15, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mn Helicopters Inc
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 349° at 8 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 3:33 pm from AQP, 37 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 26, 2023. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo Log | 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.