Robinson R22 BETA accident near Logan, Utah, August 24, 2004
On August 24, 2004 at about 7:50 pm local time, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter), registered N7530D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Logan, Utah (Logan-Cache 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 instructor's failure to maintain adequate rotor speed during the landing flare, resulting in a hard landing. Contributing factors include the student's delay in relinquishing the controls and the instructor's improper supervision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 24, 2004 · about 7:50 pm local time
- Place
- Logan, Utah · Logan-Cache 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
- N7530D · no longer on the register · serial 3619
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the instructor, after demonstrating some ground maneuvers, he entered the pattern to demonstrate a practice autorotation. The instructor stated that they entered the autorotation at approximately 850 feet above the ground. The airspeed, and rpm were in the green, and the descent was around 1500 feet per minute. The instructor stated that at approximately 40 feet above the ground, they started the flare. At the end of the flare, he announced "recover," and then announced, "I have the controls." The instructor was unable to recover the engine rpm. The instructor leveled the helicopter and landed hard on the runway. The impact with the runway crushed the landing gear skids upward, and buckled the fuselage and tail boom.
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: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 607 hours in all; 575 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LGU Logan UT at 7:30 pm
- Destination: LGU Logan UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 N7530D 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.