Robinson R22 Beta II accident near Park City, Utah, June 18, 2007
On June 18, 2007 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Robinson R22 Beta II (helicopter), registered N712U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Park City, Utah. 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 pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM during hover taxi. A contributing factor was the high density altitude weather condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 18, 2007 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Park City, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 Beta II · all R22 Beta IIs on the register
- Registration
- N712U · registry record · serial 3676
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor said that he was on a cross-country training flight with a student. He said he was going to demonstrate an emergency autorotation to an open plateau with an elevation of approximately 7,000 feet. The flight instructor said the autorotation went well. But when he completed a right pedal turn to taxi back and applied left pedal to stop the yaw, the low rotor RPM horn sounded. He lowered the collective and rolled on the throttle as the helicopter settled to the ground. The left skid impacted first, bending the left aft skid support tube, which transmitted to the fuselage structure bending and deforming it.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 500 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Upper Limit Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: SLC Salt Lake City UT at 7:00 pm
- Destination: PRIV Park City UT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from PVU
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.
Other NTSB records under N712U 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.