Robinson R22 Beta accident near Tucson, Arizona, February 19, 2007
On February 19, 2007 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Robinson R22 Beta (helicopter), registered N453SH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tucson, Arizona. 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 failure of the student pilot to maintain an adequate main rotor rpm and the instructor’s failure to maintain control of the aircraft.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 19, 2007 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Tucson, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 Beta · all R22 Betas on the register
- Registration
- N453SH · no longer on the register · serial 4025
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing a simulated emergency landing during a Part 91 instructional flight, the helicopter touched down hard on open desert terrain, and a main rotor blade impacted the tail boom. The certified flight instructor was teaching his rotorcraft rated private pilot student to land under a simulated emergency condition where the objective was for the student to "land immediately." As the helicopter descended, the low rotor annunciator light illuminated and the corresponding warning horn sounded. Thereafter, the instructor attempted to perform a recovery. According to the instructor, initially both he and his student were simultaneously attempting to take corrective action and the student "had too strong a grip on the throttle for me to overcome." The instructor was handling the controls as the rotorcraft approached and contacted the ground. The instructor stated that despite his efforts, the helicopter touched down hard. No mechanical malfunctions were experienced during the flight.
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; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 857 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 197 in the last 90 days; 79 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 197 hours in all; 18 in the last 90 days; 14 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TUS Tucson AZ
- Destination: TUS Tucson AZ
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:12 pm from TUS, 9 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 N453SH 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.