Robinson R22 Beta accident near North Palm Bch, Florida, January 8, 2008
On January 8, 2008 at about 9:23 pm local time, a Robinson R22 Beta (helicopter), registered N179SH, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near North Palm Bch, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to carburetor icing. Contributing to the accident was unsuitable terrain for a forced landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 8, 2008 · about 9:23 pm local time
- Place
- North Palm Bch, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 Beta · all R22 Betas on the register
- Registration
- N179SH · no longer on the register · serial 4193
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The helicopter was transitioning along a beach at 500 feet and 80 knots. The certificated student pilot had just contacted an air traffic control tower when the engine appeared to lose power. The student pilot raised the collective, but the situation "worsened," and he noticed a slight yaw. The student pilot then lowered the collective, and turned the helicopter left, into the wind. He subsequently completed an autorotation into the surf. The student pilot noted that prior to the loss of engine power, he didn't notice any unusual vibrations or noises, but did notice a "significant loss of power which resulted in an immediate loss of altitude." He also noted that it felt like "the sinking and yawing one experiences when settling with power." A postflight examination of the helicopter revealed no mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Utilizing the ambient temperature and dew point, a carburetor icing probability chart produced by the National Research Council of Canada indicated a probability of "serious icing at glide power," while another chart in the FAA's Tips on Winter Flying pamphlet indicated that carburetor icing conditions bordered between "serious icing - glide power" and "light icing - glide or cruise power."
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
- Fuel related during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Water › Contributed to outcome
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Temp/humidity/pressure › Conducive to carburetor icing › Effect on equipment
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 61 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 521 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 31, 2007; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Silver State Helicopters LLC
The flight
- Departed from: SUA Stuart FL at 9:10 pm
- Destination: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.17 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from PBI, 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.
Other NTSB records under N179SH the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.