Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Richmond, Virginia, March 22, 2009
On March 22, 2009 at about 1:15 am local time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N2360M, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Richmond, Virginia (Richmond International Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to the pilot inadvertently shutting down the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 2009 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Richmond, Virginia · Richmond International Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N2360M · no longer on the register · serial 2340
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot stated that, upon reaching cruising altitude, he reached to pull the trim adjustment knob but inadvertently pulled the mixture control knob, which caused the engine to shutdown. The pilot immediately lowered the collective lever and entered an autorotation. He attempted to restart the engine using the throttle and the starter but did not advance the mixture control from the idle cut off position. As he flared the helicopter to land, the windscreen contacted powerlines, and then the helicopter struck an automobile on a roadway. The helicopter sustained damage to the windscreen, main rotor blades, and tailboom. The Pilot's Operating Handbook for the Robinson R-22 states that "If the mixture control is inadvertently pulled in flight, engine stoppage will result. To avoid pulling the wrong control, always reach around left side of cyclic to actuate lateral trim."
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
- Engine shutdown during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Autorotation Off-field or emergency landing
- Autorotation Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Mixture control › Unneccessary use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 901 hours in all; 747 in this make and model; 66 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 851 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 11, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,952 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 17, 2008; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: RIC Richmond VA at 1:05 am
- Destination: Victoria VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,300 ft
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Observation at 4:54 pm from RIC, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.