Robinson R22 accident near Spring, Texas, December 8, 2003
On December 8, 2003 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N747LF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Spring, 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 CFI's delay in taking remedial action which resulted in a hard landing. An excessive descent rate was a contributing factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 8, 2003 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Spring, 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
- N747LF · registry record · serial 2961
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot initiated a practice straight-in autorotation on a southerly heading, "at 700 feet agl, and 70 knots." The fight instructor stated that the "approach angle and decent grew quite steep very quickly." As the "rotor rpm decayed to approximately 95% at an approximate altitude of 200 feet agl, the fight instructor initiated a go-around by rolling on the throttle, lifting the collective, and applying forward pressure on the cyclic while maintaining 60 knots as the helicopter continued to descend." The fight instructor initiated a "hard flare to stop the rate of decent, but the decent was slowed, not stopped." The fight instructor leveled the helicopter, and executed a run-on landing at approximately 30 knots. Subsequently, the helicopter landed hard on soft terrain, rolled over, and came to rest on its left side. The fight instructor further reported that the left skid "hooked on an obstruction" prior to rolling over. Examination of the accident site revealed there were no obstructions or obstacles near the main wreckage. A ground scar was found at the point of initial impact consistent with the length of the skid and was approximately once inch deep.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,020 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 0 in the last 90 days; 0 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DWH Spring TX
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 12 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,800 ft; ovct at 4,800 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from DWH
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.