Robinson R22 BETA accident near West Jordan, Utah, May 24, 2003
On May 24, 2003 at about 9:30 pm local time, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter), registered N7176S, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Jordan, Utah (Salt Lake City Municipal 2 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 loss of power for undetermined reasons. Also causal was the student's failure to maintain aircraft control and the instructor's inadequate supervision. The instructor's delayed remedial action as a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2003 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- West Jordan, Utah · Salt Lake City Municipal 2 · 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
- N7176S · registry record · serial 2971
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and private pilot who was receiving instruction were practicing landings when the instructor asked "what would be his reaction if the engine quit on [the] downwind [leg]." They entered an autorotation from an altitude of 5,200 feet msl (600 feet agl) and an airspeed of 75 knots. The student turned the helicopter into the wind but lost 15 knots and rotor rpm (96 percent). The instructor noticed the rpm drop and added power, but there was no increase in rpm. Altitude had dropped to 4,900 feet msl (300 feet agl), and the rate of descent was increasing. The instructor kept the collective control down and pulled back on the cyclic control to transfer speed into rotor rpm and altitude. Engine and rotor rpm needles "were married at 93% and 95%." He increased collective to reduce the rate of descent. The throttle was fully open. The low rotor rpm horn never shut off, and there was no audible increase in rpm. The instructor said that as they passed 50 feet agl, the rpm was so low that "the helicopter was close to stall." He leveled off, but the helicopter struck the ground and bounced several times, collapsing the skids. It rolled over on its left side, shearing off the main rotor and tail rotor blades. The fuselage skin was also wrinkled. Nothing was found that would have precluded the development of engine power. Based on an instructor interview,the FAA concluded that the flight instructor should have had the student make a straight ahead autorotation instead of a turning autorotation. The student allowed rpm to drop so that it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to recover.
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: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 960 hours in all; 787 in this make and model; 144 in the last 90 days; 56 in the last 30 days; 922 as pilot in command; 674 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 4, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 114 hours in all; 104 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 69 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 16, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,154 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 23, 2003; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: U42 West Jordan UT
- Destination: U42
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 9 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 12,000 ft; scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from SLC, 11 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 N7176S 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.