Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Mcminnville, Tennessee, September 3, 2026
On September 3, 2026 at about 7:11 pm local time, a 2007 Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N276SH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mcminnville, Tennessee (Warren County Meml airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s delayed remedial action during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 3, 2026 · about 7:11 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Mcminnville, Tennessee · Warren County Meml · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, built 2007 · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N276SH · registry record · serial 4246
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor of the helicopter stated that after practicing two uneventful 180° practice auto rotations, the student pilot attempted a third. The maneuver proceeded as expected, however, as it progressed, the helicopter slowed significantly at low altitude. The flight instructor stated that he attempted to take the controls to recover, but he was too late and the helicopter landed hard in the grass prior to the runway. The helicopter rolled to the left and the fuselage, main rotors, and tail boom were substantially damaged. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the helicopter that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,579 hours in all; 477.8 in this make and model; 51.9 in the last 90 days; 8.5 in the last 30 days; 1,459.5 as pilot in command; 552.3 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 31, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 292.8 hours in all; 62 in this make and model; 18.6 in the last 90 days; 12.4 in the last 30 days; 178.8 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 6, 2026
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,310.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 18, 2025; 66.4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-360-J2A (piston); 6,310 hours total
The flight
- Destination: JWN Nashville TN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 6,500 ft
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from CSV, 40 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KCSV 031853Z AUTO VRB03KT 10SM FEW065 34/18 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP169 T03390183
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Helicopter Off the End of the Runway
Photograph 2 – Front View of the Helicopter
Photograph 3 – Aft View of the HelicopterThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on October 15, 2026. 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 Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Video File | video | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N276SH on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Robinson R22 817 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-360-J2A 254 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Warren County Memorial · nearest airport
- John C Tune Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Tennessee 1,198 since 1982 · 231 in the last ten years
- Tennessee 6,536 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA26LA327.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.