Robinson Helicopter R22 accident near Armstrong, Texas, January 31, 2017
On January 31, 2017 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 2008 Robinson Helicopter R22, registered N883KC, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Armstrong, Texas. It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to remove the left helicopter skid tie-down before takeoff, which resulted in dynamic roll-over.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2017 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Armstrong, Texas · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, built 2008 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N883KC · no longer on the register · serial 4354
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter pilot reported that, during takeoff from a trailer, the tie-down remained attached to the left skid and that the helicopter experienced a dynamic roll-over. The helicopter rolled off the trailer to the left and impacted the ground. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, tailboom, and firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident 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
- Dynamic rollover during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Forgotten action/omission › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 7,800 hours in all; 7,200 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 7,600 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 19, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,181.8 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 19, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 2,182 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Armstrong TX at 3:30 pm
- Destination: Armstrong TX
- Flight plan: not recorded
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 3:15 pm from KEBG, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 8, 2017. 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 | Memorandum for Record – Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.