Robinson R22B accident near Redding, California, November 27, 2006
On November 27, 2006 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Robinson R22B (helicopter), registered N7198N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Redding, California (Redding Municipal airport). 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 student's misjudged landing flare, the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight, and the instructor's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 27, 2006 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Redding, California · Redding Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22B · all R22Bs on the register
- Registration
- N7198N · registry record · serial 3168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter touched down hard at the culmination of a practice autorotation. During the instructional flight lesson, the certified flight instructor (CFI) monitored his student's flying. The student had about 15 hours of total helicopter flying experience. The CFI reported that the student initiated the landing flare about 40 feet above ground level (agl). According to the CFI, when the helicopter was about 10 feet agl he took over the controls, raised the collective, and rolled on the throttle to initiate a power recovery. The helicopter's low rotor warning horn sounded and the respective annunciator light illuminated. Thereafter, the helicopter contacted the ground, bounced, and came to rest after making two complete rotations about its vertical axis. The tailboom and vertical stabilizer were bent during the ground impact sequence. No mechanical malfunction or failure was reported to have occurred.
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: instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 287 hours in all; 245 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 15 hours in all; 9 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Air Shasta Rotor & Wing, LLC
The flight
- Departed from: RDD Redding CA at 7:15 pm
- Destination: RDD Redding CA
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.