Robinson R22 accident near Chandler, Arizona, November 18, 2003
On November 18, 2003 at about 11:20 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N7193J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chandler, Arizona (Chandler Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while hovering. A factor to the accident was the student pilot's lack of experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 18, 2003 · about 11:20 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · Chandler Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N7193J · registry record · serial 3144
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter collided with the ground while hovering. The student was on his first solo flight. After flying about 1 hour with his certified flight instructor (CFI), the CFI got out of the helicopter and positioned himself a short distance away. As the student raised the collective, the helicopter began to tilt to the right. He attempted to correct with left cyclic, and the helicopter lifted off the ground. The helicopter was in an unstable hover and the tail rotor struck the surface, resulting in the helicopter yawing 180 degrees to the right. As it rotated, the main rotors struck the surface and the helicopter came to a stop. There were no mechanical malfunctions with the helicopter.
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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 28 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KCHD Chandler AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
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.