Robinson R-22B accident near Keene, New Hampshire, March 27, 2000
On March 27, 2000 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Robinson R-22B (helicopter), registered N2260W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Keene, New Hampshire (Dillant-Hopkins 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 CFI's failure to perform remedial action in a timely manner which resulted in a hard landing during the practice autorotation. A factor in this accident was the CFI's lack of total experience as a flight instructor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 27, 2000 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Keene, New Hampshire · Dillant-Hopkins Airport
- 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
- N2260W · no longer on the register · serial 0501
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The CFI was providing flight instruction to the commercial pilot, who was training for a CFI rating. While practicing an auto-rotation, the commercial pilot landed hard. The helicopter's main rotor severed the tail boom, and the helicopter rolled onto its left side. The CFI stated he failed to react soon enough to prevent the accident. The CFI reported 1,180 hours of total flight experience, of which 497 hours were in rotorcraft, with 279 hours in the make and model of the accident helicopter. Additionally, the CFI reported 40 hours of flight time as a flight instructor.
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: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,180 hours in all; 279 in this make and model; 56 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,128 as pilot in command; 40 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EEN at 6:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 6,201 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 10 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,700 ft
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from EEN
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.