Robinson R22 BETA accident near Lambertville, Michigan, November 5, 2001
On November 5, 2001 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter), registered N888BD, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lambertville, Michigan (Toledo Suburban Airport). 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
The pilot's improper flare during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 5, 2001 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Lambertville, Michigan · Toledo Suburban Airport · 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
- N888BD · no longer on the register · serial 1097
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was giving helicopter rides to friends. "On my third trip I taxied to a grass tie down area where I had landed on my previous flights. I was hovering at 3 feet. The helicopter started [a] translating tendency to the right. I tried to correct but it turned 180 degrees and the tail rotor struck the ground and then the right skid dug in. The chopper then went into dynamic rollover on its righ[t] side." A witness reported seeing the helicopter come in for a landing. The witness said the helicopter over-flared and the tail and tail rotor struck the terrain. The helicopter then impacted onto its skids. The right skid separated from the fuselage and the helicopter rolled over onto its right side. An examination of the helicopter revealed no anomalies.
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: single-engine land; single-engine sea; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,767 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 24, 2001; 777.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5G9 Lambertville MI
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.30 inHg
- Observation at 8:38 pm from 5G9, 1 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.
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.