Robinson R22 accident near Okeechobee, Florida, March 16, 2001
On March 16, 2001 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N666BH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Okeechobee, Florida (Okeechobee County 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
an in-flight collision with the ground during a simulated engine failure, and autorotation, which resulted in the tailboom separating. A contributing factor in this accident was the pilot allowed the rotor rpm to decay which resulted in inadequate rotor rpm to cushion the helicopter onto the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 2001 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida · Okeechobee County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N666BH · no longer on the register · serial 1945M
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The certified flight instructor [CFI] was demonstrating a low-level simulated engine failure/autorotation to the student. According to the CFI's statement, on approach, at about 250ft above ground level, the CFI took the controls and entered an autorotation to demonstrate the importance of maintaining sufficient airspeed in case of an engine failure. He started the power recovery too late allowing the rotor rpm to decay and the heel of the skids to contact the ground hard rocking the helicopter forward followed by a loud bang as the main rotor blades struck and severed the tailboom.
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: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,543 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 300 in the last 90 days; 100 in the last 30 days; 1,459 as pilot in command; 424 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 4, 2000
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 37 hours in all; 37 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,872 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 10, 2001; 12.2 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: STU Okeechobee FL at 1:15 pm
- Destination: OBE Okeechobee FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 04, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 11 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 25,000 ft; scat at 600 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from FPR, 30 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 N666BH 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.