Robinson R22 accident near East Troy, Wisconsin, January 5, 2002
On January 5, 2002 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N215WW, was substantially damaged in an accident near East Troy, Wisconsin (East Troy Municipal Airport). It was an instructional 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 receiving instruction failed to maintain the proper descent rate.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 5, 2002 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- East Troy, Wisconsin · East Troy Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N215WW · no longer on the register · serial 0930
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter sustained substantial damage when the left, rear landing skid cross tube collapsed during landing. The CFI reported they taxied to the parallel taxiway of runway 26 to practice hovering autorotations. He reported, "I demonstrated three of them and then [the pilot receiving instruction] performed two. About a second or so after the touchdown on [the pilot receiving instruction's] 2nd hovering auto, the left skid collapsed and the helicopter slowly and gently rolled onto it's left side. The main rotor blades made contact with the ground and came to a stop." He reported, "All hovering autos were performed into the wind from a stabilized hover of 3-5 feet agl. All were terminated with the skids close to parallel with the taxiway without any hard landings." The cross tubes had about 1,500 hours since the last major overhaul. The aircraft had flown 9.6 hours since the last 100 hour inspection. An A&P mechanic reported he had examined the cross tubes during the 100 hour inspection. He reported the height of the tail measured 35 inches. The manufacturer's criteria for replacing the cross tubes is a measured tail height of 34 inches or less. The mating fractures from the left sides of the front and rear landing skid cross tubes were sent to the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) Materials Laboratory for examination. The inspection revealed the following: "Magnified optical examinations of both fractures revealed features typical of overstress separations in aluminum tubes. In addition, the orientations and paths of the fractures along with associated deformation patterns were consistent with large upward loads on the skid ends of both tubes at the time of fracture. In addition to the local deformation at the fractures both tubes also displayed large radius upward bends along most of their lengths. No indications of preexisting fatigue or corrosion were apparent on the fractures or in the surrounding areas."
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 440 hours in all; 219 in this make and model; 48 in the last 90 days; 24 in the last 30 days; 309 as pilot in command; 16 on instruments
- Last flight review: December 16, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Flight time: 339 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 235 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 13, 2000
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,510 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 3, 2002; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 57C East Troy WI at 2:20 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 30°F (-1°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 2:45 pm from UES, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 N215WW 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.