Robinson R22 BETA accident near Broomfield, Colorado, March 13, 2007
On March 13, 2007 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter), registered N7681H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Broomfield, Colorado (Jeffco 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 aircraft control. A contributing factor was the windshear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2007 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Broomfield, Colorado · Jeffco · 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
- N7681H · no longer on the register · serial 3852
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the flight instructor, he was demonstrating a "full-down" autorotation into a 20-knot headwind. About 20 feet above the ground, the wind diminished and the rotor RPM decayed. The pilot flared the helicopter, but it impacted the taxiway at 40 knots and at a 1,000 feet per minute descent rate. The helicopter bounced and the main rotor blades struck the tail boom. A systems examination 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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 380 hours in all; 224 in this make and model; 111 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 324 as pilot in command; 167 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 21 hours in all; 9 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,006.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BJC Broomfield CO at 10:15 pm
- Destination: BJC Broomfield CO
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KDEN, 20 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.