Robinson Helicopter R22 accident near Springfield, Missouri, October 21, 2025
On October 21, 2025 at about 4:08 pm local time, a 2005 Robinson Helicopter R22, registered N74583, was substantially damaged in an accident near Springfield, Missouri (Downtown airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control and the flight instructor’s lack of proper remedial action during the practice autorotation that resulted in the helicopter impacting terrain. Contributing to the accident was the presence of the gusting wind condition and the presence of speed shear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 2025 · about 4:08 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Springfield, Missouri · Downtown · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA II, built 2005 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N74583 · registry record · serial 3923
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Prior to the training flight, the flight instructor received an official weather briefing from a commercial source, and the terminal area forecast reported for high winds later in the day. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction were practicing autorotations in the helicopter at the airport. During the last autorotation, after the entry and the engine power at idle, the flight instructor told the pilot to “steer” multiple times and he even gave the cyclic a “nudge.” The helicopter was oriented to about a 240° heading while drifting past the runway centerline to the south. The helicopter was drifting to the left and the flight instructor reported the pilot was unable to turn the helicopter to the right. The helicopter continued to travel to the south beyond airport property toward a public sports complex. The flight instructor initiated a flare. The helicopter impacted a grass field upright near trees in the public sports complex, and it came to rest on its left side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, the main rotor system, the tail cone, the empennage, and the tail rotor system. The flight instructor was unsure if there was a flight control malfunction and he thought that if there was a flight control malfunction, initiating a power recovery during the autorotation might exacerbate a malfunction. While the flight instructor decided to use a 300 ft agl decision check altitude for the autorotations, a power recovery was not initiated. Postaccident examination of the airframe confirmed flight control continuity. Near the time of the accident and landing to runway 29, the wind originated from 310°, with a wind speed of 11 kts, and gusting to 21 kts. A review of meteorological data found some speed shear in the lowest 2,000 ft agl of about 15 kts above average surface magnitudes near the airport for a period near the accident time. It is likely that during the practice autorotation, the pilot did not compensate for the gusting wind condition and the speed shear, and the flight instructor did not execute a timely remedial action with initiating a power recovery, which resulted in the helicopter impacting terrain.
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
- Autorotation Loss of control in flight defining event
- Autorotation Other weather encounter
- Autorotation Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
- Evacuation during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on equipment
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Windshear › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, remote
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter; rotorcraft: unmanned (suas)
- Flight time: 906 hours in all; 293 in this make and model; 178 in the last 90 days; 52 in the last 30 days; 704 as pilot in command; 217 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 23, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private, remote
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter; rotorcraft: unmanned (suas)
- Flight time: 4,583 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 95 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 4,404 as pilot in command; 1,690 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 11, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,855.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 3, 2025; 41.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-360-J2A (piston); 6,371 hours total
- Operator: So Fly Flight Training Academy, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 3DW Springfield MO at 3:40 pm
- Destination: 3DW Springfield MO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11/2, 4,037 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 11 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 am from KSGF, 7 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSGF 211552Z AUTO 31011G21KT 10SM CLR 16/02 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP197 T01560022
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – View of the bottom of the helicopter at the accident site
Photograph 2 – View of the top of the helicopter at the accident site
Photograph 3 – View of the front of the helicopter at the accident site
Photograph 4 – View of the tail rotor system at the accident siteThe 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
15 documents, released by the NTSB on August 20, 2026. 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.
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N74583 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Robinson R22 817 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-360-J2A 254 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Downtown Airport · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Missouri 1,640 since 1982 · 219 in the last ten years
- Missouri 5,813 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN26LA027.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.