Robinson R22 accident near Overton, Nevada, October 17, 2019
On October 17, 2019 at about 11:20 pm local time, a 1990 Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N4066S, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Overton, Nevada. 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 pilot’s failure to maintain a proper approach and the flight instructor's subsequent failure to maintain an adequate climb rate during an attempted go-around in gusting tailwind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing and dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 17, 2019 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Overton, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA, built 1990 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N4066S · no longer on the register · serial 1508
- 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 he told the pilot receiving instruction in the helicopter to shoot an approach to a sandbar in a riverbed. The pilot approached to the south, and the wind was between about 20 to 25 knots from the south. About 20 ft above ground level, the instructor took the flight controls due to a steep and fast approach and initiated a go-around. He performed a climbing left turn to the north, and subsequently the helicopter descended, and he was unable to maneuver it into the wind. The helicopter landed hard, bounced, and yawed right. The helicopter contacted the ground again and rolled onto its left side. The main rotor blades struck the ground, and the tailboom separated. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tailboom. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter 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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Dynamic rollover during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Climb rate › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,845 hours in all; 1,450 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 1,700 as pilot in command; 1,400 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 6, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 120 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 60 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,600 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 14, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,730 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: California Aviation Services Inc
The flight
- Departed from: IFP Bullhead City AZ at 9:30 pm
- Destination: U08 Overton NV
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 16 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.53 inHg
- Observation at 11:58 pm from KLSV, 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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 19, 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 | Record of Conversation - Flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photo | 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.