Robinson Helicopter Company R22 MARINE accident near Austin, Texas, May 10, 2008
On May 10, 2008 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R22 MARINE, registered N8316D, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Austin, Texas (None airport). It was a business 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 pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM while maneuvering at a low altitude, which resulted in a loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 10, 2008 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Austin, Texas · None · 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 MARINE
- Registration
- N8316D · registry record · serial 2481M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and pilot rated passenger were operating a single-engine helicopter equipped with pontoons over a lake for the purpose of photographing recreational boats. Several witnesses observed the helicopter flying erratic and at a low altitude over the boats before it impacted the water and rolled inverted. The pilot stated that they were tracking a boat approximately 100 feet above the ground level. The boat was traveling to the south and they were flying to the north with a tail wind. He said that he executed a right hand turn and noticed that the rotor RPM had begun to decrease, the rotor RPM horn came on, and the governor light began to flash. The pilot immediately began to execute a low rotor RPM recovery by lowering the collective, increasing engine power, and continuing to turn into the wind but was unable to recover RPM before hitting the water. The helicopter hit the water and bounced back up with a bit of a wave. When the helicopter came back down, a wake from one of the boats they had been tracking washed over the floats, which caused the helicopter to roll to the front and flip over. The governor controller was examined and no anomalies were noted.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 895 hours in all; 871 in this make and model; 257 in the last 90 days; 116 in the last 30 days; 668 as pilot in command; 501 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 5, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 199 hours in all; 183 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 32 in the last 30 days; 122 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 20, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: AUS Austin TX at 3:30 pm
- Destination: Lake Travis TX
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 12 knots, gusting 17
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.75 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from AUS, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N8316D 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.