Robinson R22 BETA accident near Englewood, Colorado, July 22, 1998
On July 22, 1998 at about 8:20 pm local time, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter), registered N8350N, was destroyed in an accident near Englewood, Colorado. It was an instructional 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
An encounter with unanticipated windshear or a downdraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 1998 · about 8:20 pm local time
- Place
- Englewood, Colorado · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N8350N · no longer on the register · serial 2704
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor and his student were practicing 180 degree autorotations, preparing for the student's commercial and flight instructor checkrides. The maneuvers were begun between 610 and 660 feet above the ground. They completed several autorotations without incident. The instructor said the helicopter dipped slightly as airspeed increased by 5 knots to 65-70 knots indicated. Main rotor rpm decreased slightly, so he made an aft cyclic input and lowered collective slightly. Rate of descent suddenly increased rapidly and the instructor decreased bank angle with cyclic, increased power, and raised the collective. He flared to arrest the rate of descent as much as possible and pulled collective to cushion the landing. The instructor said he thought wind shear or a strong downdraft caused 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
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,079 hours in all; 1,068 in this make and model; 170 in the last 90 days; 54 in the last 30 days; 991 as pilot in command; 808 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 636 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 7, 1998; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: APA Englewood CO at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from APA, 1 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.