Robinson R22 accident near Suffolk, Virginia, November 24, 2007
On November 24, 2007 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Robinson R22 (helicopter), registered N442FA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Suffolk, Virginia. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The V-drive belts' rolling off the sheaves for undetermined reasons, resulting in a loss of power to the rotor system, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm during the autorotation, resulting in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 24, 2007 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Suffolk, Virginia · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N442FA · registry record · serial 0708
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was circling the helicopter near friends, about 600 feet above the ground. After a few turns, as he was departing the area, the pilot noticed that the clutch light was illuminated. About 5 seconds later, he pulled the clutch circuit breaker. At the same time, the engine's rpm "sharply" increased and the main rotor rpm alarm sounded. The pilot immediately lowered the collective and "rolled on the throttle" in an attempt to increase rotor rpm. When that failed, the pilot performed an autorotation to the ground; however, during the descent, he was unable to bring the rotor rpm back into the "green" range. The helicopter landed hard, the skids spread, and a main rotor blade impacted the tail boom. Postaccident examination of the helicopter drive system revealed that the V-drive belts had rolled off the sheaves, but the reason they did so could not be determined.
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
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 780 hours in all; 232 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 615 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 24, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,872 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 4, 2007; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Whaleyville VA at 5:30 pm
- Destination: SFQ Suffolk VA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.44 inHg
- Observation at 6:41 pm from SFQ, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.