Robinson R22B accident near Salinas, California, September 30, 1998
On September 30, 1998 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Robinson R22B (helicopter), registered N8340D, was destroyed in an accident near Salinas, California. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the student pilot to maintain control of the aircraft while practicing autorotations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 30, 1998 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Salinas, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22B · all R22Bs on the register
- Registration
- N8340D · no longer on the register · serial 2618
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The chief pilot of the flight school reported that the student helicopter pilot was briefed for his first nonsupervised solo flight. The pilot was instructed to practice traffic patterns and to fly normal approaches and takeoffs, with no emergency maneuvers. The student pilot reported that he practiced traffic patterns, then decided to practice autorotations. He entered the autorotation from approximately 800 feet agl and 70 knots of airspeed. About 200 to 300 feet agl, he initiated a go-around to abort the autorotation. He raised the collective but didn't get a response. He reported that at that point he was 'not sure what was going wrong but felt [he] was losing control and going down very fast.' Once he realized he was about to hit the ground, he raised the collective and applied full aft cyclic. The helicopter impacted the ground and rolled over. The chief pilot reported that when the pilot called him for help after the accident, the pilot stated, 'I did what you told me not to do,' referring to the autorotations. The pilot had been given a solo endorsement on September 14, 1998.
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: private, student
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,600 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 10, 1998; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SNS CA at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- 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.