Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Caldwell, Idaho, July 13, 2015
On July 13, 2015 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2007 Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N184SH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Caldwell, Idaho (Caldwell Industrial airport). 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
Abnormal ground contact during a 180 degree autorotation, resulting in a severed tail rotor driveshaft by a main rotor blade. A factor contributing to the accident was the rotor blowback condition due to the aft tilting of the main rotor disk.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 13, 2015 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Caldwell, Idaho · Caldwell Industrial · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA BETA, built 2007 · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N184SH · registry record · serial 4207
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot entered a practice 180 degree autorotation with a power recovery maneuver. He reported that as the student pilot started to flare and raise the collective, the helicopter "fell dramatically and began to shake," at which time he took the flight controls. The flight instructor recovered the helicopter and landed. The helicopter landed with forward momentum and departed the runway to the right. He reported that "it did not seem as though the landing was very hard." A postflight inspection revealed that a main rotor blade had struck the tail boom, severing the tail rotor driveshaft. The flight instructor reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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 Attempted remediation/recovery
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
- AC during autorotation Part(s) separation from
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Rotorcraft flight control › Main rotor control › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor system › Main rotor blade system › Incorrect use/operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,750 as pilot in command; 2,171 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 3, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 94 hours in all; 94 in this make and model; 78 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 10 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,072.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 1,072 hours total
- Operator: Alpine Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: EUL Caldwell ID at 8:30 pm
- Destination: EUL Caldwell ID
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 5,500 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from KEUL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on September 8, 2015. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation (Flight Instructor) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Statement (Student Pilot) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photographs (2 Embedded Photos) | PDF, 2 pages | 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.