Robinson Helicopter R22 accident near Charleston, South Carolina, February 14, 2018
On February 14, 2018 at about 6:30 pm local time, a 1999 Robinson Helicopter R22, registered N337H, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Charleston, South Carolina. 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 abrupt evasive maneuver to avoid a reported unmanned aerial system, which resulted in a loss of forward airspeed and settling with power and a subsequent collision with trees and terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 14, 2018 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Charleston, South Carolina · 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 II, built 1999 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N337H · registry record · serial 2999
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During an instructional flight in the helicopter, the student pilot was on the controls. The flight instructor said the student had transitioned from a hover through effective transitional lift and established forward flight and then initiated a right turn. He added that, during the right turn, he and the student saw a small, white unmanned aerial system (UAS) about 10 ft in front of the helicopter at "eye level." The instructor took the flight controls and made a hard right and aft cyclic input. After the evasive maneuver, the helicopter had very little forward airspeed. The helicopter was about 40 ft above ground level as it began settling with power. The helicopter descended, and the tail rotor entered trees. The helicopter then developed a right spin, and the instructor rolled the throttle off to alleviate the spin and then increased the collective to try to cushion the landing. Subsequently, the helicopter impacted the ground and rolled over onto its right side. A UAS was not recovered. It is likely that the instructor's abrupt maneuver led to the loss of forward airspeed and the helicopter's subsequent descent into trees, which resulted in the right spin from which the instructor could not recover before impact with terrain.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during maneuvering
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Roll over during after landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,480 hours in all; 1,500 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 2,430 as pilot in command; 1,031 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 30, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,989 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 28, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 1,441 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHS Charleston SC at 6:00 pm
- Destination: CHS Charleston SC
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 6:26 pm from KCHS, 35 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on May 8, 2019. 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 | Cfi's Initial Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector and CFI | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Student's Initial Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Student's Second Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | 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.