Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Taylor, Texas, August 3, 2025
On August 3, 2025 at about 5:22 pm local time, a 1999 Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N4684S, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Taylor, Texas (Taylor Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s inadequate supervision and delayed remedial action which resulted in a skid contacting the terrain. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor’s improper judgement to allow the student pilot to manipulate the flight controls at a low altitude/hover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 2025 · about 5:22 pm local time
- Place
- Taylor, Texas · Taylor Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, built 1999 · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N4684S · registry record · serial 2996
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the instructional flight, the flight instructor demonstrated each flight control to the student pilot at an altitude of 1 to 4 ft above the ground, and then allowed the student pilot to manipulate one flight control at a time. The student pilot manipulated the cyclic control several times with no issue but later allowed a slow drift to occur, which moved the helicopter away from its initial ground reference point. The flight instructor then took the flight controls and returned the helicopter to the reference point. During the student pilot’s last attempt at manipulating the cyclic control, the helicopter drifted to a dirt area, descended, and its skid contacted the ground. The helicopter rolled over and impacted terrain resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, main rotor, and main rotor gearbox. The flight instructor stated he was too slow to take the controls from the student pilot, which resulted in the helicopter’s impact with terrain. The flight instructor stated there was no mechanical malfunction/failure of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation. The Helicopter Instructor’s Handbook, FAA-H-8083-4, states in part, “…beginning the flight instruction at altitude is a good way to allow the student to manipulate all of the controls at one time and with a larger margin of error than beginning the flight instruction at a hover.”
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 (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 710 hours in all; 228 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 19 in the last 30 days; 279 as pilot in command; 195 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 30, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,936 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 10, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 7,028 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: T74 Taylor TX at 4:15 pm
- Destination: T74 Taylor TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 12:15 pm from T74
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 18, 2025. 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 - Unsigned | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Signed | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Record of Conversation Student Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | 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.