Schweizer 300 C accident near Boonville, North Carolina, June 23, 2022
On June 23, 2022 at about 2:55 pm local time, a 2008 Schweizer 300 C (helicopter), registered N2158T, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Boonville, North Carolina (Elkin Muni airport). It was a flight test 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 helicopter’s impact with a non-biological object, which resulted in substantial damage to a main rotor blade.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2022 · about 2:55 pm local time
- Place
- Boonville, North Carolina · Elkin Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Schweizer 300 C, built 2008
- Registration
- N2158T · registry record · serial S1913
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was at an enroute altitude of 1,500 ft mean sea level (500 ft above ground level), tuning a radio to the destination frequency, when he looked up there was a “drone hovering” in the path of the helicopter. He reported that it struck the main rotor disk at the 2 o’clock position and it “disintegrated.” The pilot evaluated the helicopter for vibrations or damage and elected to return to the departure airport, which was 3.5 miles away. He subsequently landed the helicopter without issue and during the postflight examination, he noted substantial damage to one of the main rotor blades. A sample was taken at the site of the main rotor blade damage and tested negative for bird DNA. A search for the unmanned aerial system was performed, however, no device was located. No Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) authorizations were requested for the area at the time of the accident. Additionally, no operational waivers had been filed with the Federal Aviation Administration for unmanned aerial system operations in the area at the time of the accident.
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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Debris/dirt/foreign object › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 14,000 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 11,500 as pilot in command; 2,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,800 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,050 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming HIO-360-D1A (piston); 300 hours total
The flight
- Destination: INT Winston Salem NC
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 7/25, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 32°F (0°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 am from UKF, 16 miles away
Weather report (METAR): SA 23/06/2022 15:35-> METAR KUKF 231535Z AUTO 13004KT 10SM CLR 26/20 A2997 RMK AO2=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on October 19, 2022. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Dna Test Results | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - No UAS Operations Requests to FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.