Robinson R22 BETA accident near Ham Lake, Minnesota, May 11, 2000
On May 11, 2000 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter), registered N8321K, was destroyed in an accident near Ham Lake, Minnesota. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
carburetor ice. Factors relating to this accident were the icing conditions, the pilot's attempted emergency landing and the low altitude.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2000 · about 10:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ham Lake, Minnesota · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N8321K · no longer on the register · serial 2531
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter took off from the roof of a building and was turned into the wind. The pilot said as he started forward, 'the rpms start to drop.' The manifold pressure was 24 inches. He continued forward, manipulating the collective and throttle, so that he could clear a nearby 2-story building. 'When I cleared the roof line, I dropped the collective, rolled the throttle and aft cyclic, but [I] didn't have enough altitude to recover, and into the ground we went.' An examination of the helicopter revealed no anomalies. The weather report for Anoka, Minnesota, 10 miles south-southeast of the accident site, 20 minutes before the accident, was 800 overcast, 2 miles visibility with fog, temperature 60 degrees F, and dew point 58 degrees F. DOT/FAA Publication CT-82/44, Light Aircraft Piston Engine Carburetor Ice Detector/Warning Device Sensitivity/Effectiveness, June 1982, Carburetor Icing Probability Chart, shows for a temperature of 60 degrees F, and a dew point of 58 degrees F, 'serious icing conditions at cruise power' exists.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 281 hours in all; 281 in this make and model; 47 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 281 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,016 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 23, 2000; 1,016 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:55 pm from ANE, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8321K the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.