Robinson R-22 BETA accident near Lake Piru, California, July 14, 2000
On July 14, 2000 at about 4:45 pm local time, a Robinson R-22 BETA (helicopter), registered N169CW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Piru, California. 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 improper use of the cyclic control by the pilot under instruction, and the flight instructor's lack of remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2000 · about 4:45 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Piru, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22 BETA · all R-22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N169CW · no longer on the register · serial 3002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the commercial pilot were practicing autorotations in preparation for a flight instructor check ride by the commercial pilot. The instructor said they were practicing full touchdown autorotations and on the first attempt, the commercial pilot had placed the cyclic too far forward. On the second attempt, the commercial pilot placed the cyclic too far back causing the main rotor blade to come into contact with the tailboom assembly.
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: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,750 hours in all; 3,148 in this make and model; 260 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days; 4,700 as pilot in command; 3,500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 720 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2000; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Group Three Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: KVNY Van Nuys CA at 3:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; scat
- Temperature: 171°F (77°C), dew point 126°F (52°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from VNY, 20 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.
Other NTSB records under N169CW the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.