Robinson R-22B accident near Gulfport, Mississippi, July 16, 2005
On July 16, 2005 at about 3:19 pm local time, a Robinson R-22B (helicopter), registered N2614D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Gulfport, Mississippi (Gulfport Biloxi International 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
A loss engine power for undetermined reasons, that resulted in a forced landing, and damage to the helicopter during the landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2005 · about 3:19 pm local time
- Place
- Gulfport, Mississippi · Gulfport Biloxi International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22B · all R-22Bs on the register
- Registration
- N2614D · registry record · serial 727
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor said that the student was flying the helicopter, and they were in a left-handed traffic pattern, on the downwind leg, at an altitude of about 550 feet, with the intent to practice maximum performance takeoffs and straight-in autorotative landings. He stated that he reminded the student to activate the carburetor heat, as the student reached forward he heard the engine cease operating, he said he never "observed" the student pull the carburetor heat. The engine rpm immediately "dropped all the way down", and he heard the engine correspondingly cease to operate. The instructor said he immediately took control of the helicopter from the student, entered the autorotation, and affected a landing to a golf course. During the landing, the helicopter incurred damage. Under the supervision of an FAA inspector the helicopter was examined, and the engine was given a test-run, and no preaccident anomalies were noted to exist with the airframe flight controls or the engine.
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: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 452 hours in all; 452 in this make and model; 187 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 402 as pilot in command; 210 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 107 hours in all; 107 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 19 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,019.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2005; 15.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 320 B2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Vortex Helicopters INC
The flight
- Departed from: 35M Long Beach MS at 2:30 pm
- Destination: GPT Gulfport MS
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from GPT, 1 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.
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.