Robinson R-22 BETA accident near Silver City, Montana, January 31, 2002
On January 31, 2002 at about 5:04 pm local time, a Robinson R-22 BETA (helicopter), registered N7507G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Silver City, Montana (Silver City airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Both the pilot/owner and the FAA inspector pilots' failure to maintain adequate rotor RPM during a practice auto rotation landing which resulted in a hard landing. A contributing factor was the pilot/owner's application of excessive anti-torque pedal during the initiation of the auto rotation.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2002 · about 5:04 pm local time
- Place
- Silver City, Montana · Silver City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R-22 BETA · all R-22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N7507G · registry record · serial 3240
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner of the Robinson R-22 helicopter along with the FAA pilot/inspector departed on a flight to build time for the inspector. The total flight time accrued in his logbook was 827 hours of which 693 hours were in the R-22 helicopter (681 pilot-in-command). The FAA pilot/inspector had approximately 8,000 hours of helicopter time of which approximately 6,000 hours were logged as pilot in command and 5,000 were as an instructor. He had less than 50 hours of flight time in the R-22. The FAA pilot/inspector demonstrated an auto rotation and then turned the controls over to the pilot/owner who then executed the same maneuver. The FAA pilot reported that at the initiation of the maneuver, the pilot/owner applied abrupt, full left (anti-torque) pedal at which time the helicopter entered into an uncoordinated turn, began to vibrate violently and the airspeed dropped off down to between 30 to 20 knots. The pilot/owner continued to fly the helicopter recovering from the yaw and began to apply collective approximately 250 feet agl when the FAA pilot/inspector got on the controls to stop the recovery, which he believed was initiated at an altitude higher than desired. Both pilots were on the controls and the pilot/owner reported that he had full throttle with normal rotor RPM about 150 feet agl, however the helicopter landed hard and rolled on to it's right side.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 827 hours in all; 693 in this make and model; 745 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 21, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 10,000 hours in all; 26 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command; 5,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 1, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 722.6 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 27, 2002; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HLN Helena MT at 4:48 pm
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 27°F (-3°C), dew point 18°F (-8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from HLN, 12 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.