Robinson Helicopter Company R22 accident near Spanish Fork, Utah, February 22, 2005
On February 22, 2005 at about 3:40 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R22, registered N780SH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spanish Fork, Utah (Spanish Fork-Springville 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 student's failure to maintain control of the helicopter. Contributing factors were high airspeed, high rate of descent, the instructor's delay in taking remedial action, and the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2005 · about 3:40 pm local time
- Place
- Spanish Fork, Utah · Spanish Fork-Springville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R22
- Registration
- N780SH · registry record · serial 3612
- 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 certificated student pilot had been practicing simulated autorotation maneuvers from an altitude of 800 feet agl. They set up for the third simulated autorotation from an altitude of 700 feet agl, and the instructor advised the student to tighten the turn to compensate for the lower altitude. Approximately 90 degrees into the turn, the instructor noticed that the airspeed was high. The student began the landing flare and the helicopter began to shutter. At that point, the instructor assumed control, but could not arrest the descent rate, nor decrease the airspeed. The instructor applied forward cyclic and the helicopter contacted the runway and bounced approximately 10 feet into the air. The helicopter sustained substantial damage as a result of ground impact.
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: 1,240 hours in all; 1,171 in this make and model; 308 in the last 90 days; 97 in the last 30 days; 971 as pilot in command; 958 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 15, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 81 hours in all; 81 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days; 35 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 21, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,197.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection; 21.2 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: PVU Provo UT at 2:30 pm
- Destination: PVU Provo UT
- Runway 12, 5,700 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 37°F (3°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 pm from PVU, 5 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.
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.