Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta accident near Los Banos, California, March 26, 2005
On March 26, 2005 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta, registered N820SH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Los Banos, 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 instructor pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat during a simulated engine failure, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to carburetor icing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 26, 2005 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Los Banos, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta
- Registration
- N820SH · registry record · serial 3772
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter made a hard landing following a loss of engine power during a practice autorotation. The instructor pilot reported that while in cruise he simulated a loss of engine power. The student, who was studying to become a flight instructor, initiated an autorotation to a field. When the instructor attempted to apply engine power following the practice autorotation, the engine "immediately quit." The instructor applied full collective to cushion the landing, but the helicopter landed hard in the field, structurally damaging the tail boom and the fuselage. Following the accident, the operator returned the helicopter to their facility and test ran the engine. No anomalies were noted, and they believed the conditions were suitable for the development of carburetor ice during the autorotation. Review of archived weather data for the day of the accident revealed the closest weather observation facility reported the temperature and dew point as 6 and 5 degrees Celsius, respectively. Plotting of those temperatures on a carburetor icing probability chart revealed that conditions likely existed for serious icing at any power setting.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,045 hours in all; 1,642 in this make and model; 1,940 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 726 hours in all; 168 in this make and model; 673 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LSN Los Banos CA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: 3O1 Gustine CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from MCE, 24 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.
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.