Robinson R22 accident near St. George, Utah, September 26, 1999
On September 26, 1999, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N8360J, was substantially damaged in an accident near St. George, Utah. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout. Factors included the pilot concentrating on the maneuver being practiced to such an extent that he was inattentive to outside surroundings, and the sun glare.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1999
- Place
- St. George, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N8360J · no longer on the register · serial 2764
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot, who held an airplane single-engine land rating, was practicing maneuvers in preparation for taking the private pilot-helicopter practical test. He decided to practice 'quick stops,' and flew to an uninhabited area. The pilot wrote, 'I was practicing the part where the helicopter is leveled out after the flare to slow down and just before you go to a hover. I knew there was a power line in the area, but I thought I was 200 yards away from it.' As he transitioned from a hover to forward flight, he saw the power line 120 feet ahead. He attempted to fly over the line, but snagged it with the skids. The helicopter fell 100 feet, landing on its right side.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private, student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 750 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 1999; 55 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: SGU St. George UT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 240° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 100 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 am from SGU, 7 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N8360J 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.