Robinson R22 BETA accident near Paso Robles, California, June 5, 1996
On June 5, 1996 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Robinson R22 BETA (helicopter), registered N2311R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Paso Robles, California (Paso Robles 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 loss of control and subsequent dynamic rollover due to his abrupt and excessive use of the collective and anti-torque controls.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 5, 1996 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Paso Robles, California · Paso Robles Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N2311R · no longer on the register · serial 1964
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot decided to hover taxi back to the operator's ramp from the helipad. As the helicopter was getting light on the skids, he abruptly pulled collective and the aircraft began to spin to the right. He applied full left pedal and the helicopter then began to spin to the left. He bottomed the collective in an attempt to put the aircraft back down on the pad, and as it touched down, it rolled onto its right side. After the accident, he told another pilot at the school that he had encountered dynamic rollover.
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: student
- Flight time: 40 hours in all; 40 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,856 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 30, 1996; 12 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PRB at 5:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from PRB
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.
Other NTSB records under N2311R 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.