Robinson R22 accident near Sunnyvale, Texas, December 17, 2000
On December 17, 2000 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N7187W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sunnyvale, Texas. It was an instructional 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 flight instructor's inadequate supervision of his student and his failure to maintain control of the helicopter. Factors were the student pilot allowing the airspeed and main rotor RPM to get too low during the simulated emergency.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 17, 2000 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Sunnyvale, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N7187W · registry record · serial 0955M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While en route at 1,000 feet agl, the instructor pilot gave the student a simulated engine failure over a field and instructed the student to make an autorotation with a power recovery. The student pilot made a gradual 360-degree turn while descending to the field. The instructor stated that the student leveled the helicopter on final approach. The instructor made one last search for obstacles, and looked back into the cockpit to find the airspeed was at 45 knots and the main rotor RPM was at the bottom of the green arc (approximately 97%). The helicopter was approximately 100 feet agl when the instructor pilot took over control of the helicopter and attempted a 'high power recovery.' He rolled on the throttle, pulled up on the collective, felt a 'slight hesitation,' and the helicopter then 'snapped to the right.' At that time, the instructor applied left pedal and heard the low rotor RPM warning horn. The instructor stated that he thought that the helicopter did not touch down level due to the rotation to the right. The helicopter touched down in the field, 'hopped to the right approximately 40 degrees' and then became airborne again. The instructor stated that he thought that he still had either full throttle applied to the engine and/or the collective raised. As the helicopter became airborne, it rotated 360 degrees to the right, contacted the ground with the tail rotor, then the right skid. Subsequently, the helicopter rolled over onto 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 412 hours in all; 264 in this make and model; 230 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 355 as pilot in command; 230 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 7, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HQZ Mesquite TX at 5:30 pm
- Destination: T57 Garland TX
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from RBD, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.