Robinson R22 accident near Keystone, Florida, March 12, 2004
On March 12, 2004 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N4370D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Keystone, Florida (Keystone Height Airstrip 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 inadequate supervision by the flight instructor by allowing the student to lose excessive altitude resulting in a skid impacting the ground and subsequent roll over of the helicopter.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 12, 2004 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Keystone, Florida · Keystone Height Airstrip · 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
- N4370D · no longer on the register · serial 1583
- 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 decided to let the student perform one more steep turn before returning to the hangar. On the last steep turn the student lost more altitude than on previous maneuvers. The instructor took over the controls; however, the helicopter touched down right skid lower than the left with forward left lateral movement resulting in a roll over of the helicopter. The flight instructor stated there were no mechanical failures or malfunctions to the helicopter or any of its systems prior to the accident.
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
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 320 hours in all; 315 in this make and model; 77 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: December 20, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Avco Lycoming O-320-B2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Collective Helicopter Corp
The flight
- Departed from: 42J Keystone FL
- Destination: 42J Keystone FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from KGNV
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.