Robinson R22 Beta II accident near Wilmington, North Carolina, March 13, 2008
On March 13, 2008 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Robinson R22 Beta II (helicopter), registered N2215R, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Wilmington, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain proper rotor rpm after a partial loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 13, 2008 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Wilmington, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 Beta II · all R22 Beta IIs on the register
- Registration
- N2215R · no longer on the register · serial 3084
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the helicopter was en route at an estimated 200 hundred feet, a witness on the ground heard the engine "spitting and sputtering." Another witness saw parts “shedding” from the helicopter, then saw it reverse direction and descend until she lost sight of it behind a building. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground in a vacant lot and erupted into flames. A postflight examination of the engine revealed no mechanical anomalies. The carburetor air temperature gauge was reported to be inoperative and interpolation of a carburetor icing probability chart revealed atmospheric conditions conducive to "serious icing" at glide power. However, the position of the carburetor heat could not be determined and the investigation could not establish the role that carburetor icing may have played in the accident. An examination of the two main rotor blades revealed that each had a section missing, beginning about equidistant from the rotor hub. Both sections were subsequently located away from the main wreckage. Both main rotor blades were also coned upwards from the hub, which, in conjunction with the missing blade sections, was consistent with a low rotor rpm condition. An examination of the tail rotor driveshaft, and the push-pull tube running along it, revealed that they had become entwined, consistent with a “whirl” condition. According to a representative of the manufacturer, such a whirl mode could occur if an overspeed occurs; the manufacturer's maximum operating main rotor rpm limitation is 102%. The event likely began with a partial loss of engine power, followed by the pilot’s delayed response to a low rotor rpm condition, which then resulted in the coning of the main rotor blades and a loss of main rotor blade material.
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
What happened, in order
- Part(s) separation from AC during enroute (cruise)
- Aircraft structural failure during uncontrolled descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor drive system › Tail rotor drive shaft › Capability exceeded
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Main rotor system › Main rotor blade system › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,254 hours in all; 413 in this make and model; 76 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 967 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 30, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,389 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 14, 2007
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Maintenance Services LLC
The flight
- Departed from: ILM Wilmington NC at 1:41 pm
- Destination: ILM Wilmington NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from ILM, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.