Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Chandler, Arizona, March 30, 2009
On March 30, 2009 at about 9:15 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N74815, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Chandler, Arizona (Chandler Municipal airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The certified flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot during a hover demonstration and his subsequent loss of helicopter control that resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2009 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Chandler, Arizona · Chandler Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N74815 · registry record · serial 3980
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The purpose of the flight was for the certified flight instructor (CFI) to demonstrate the helicopter to a prospective student who had no prior helicopter flying experience. They had just performed an hour of uneventful flight and decided to practice hover maneuvers over a turf area adjacent to the airport helipad. The CFI briefed the student on the sensitivity of the helicopter controls during a hover and then passed over the controls to the student. The student unsuccessfully attempted to perform a hover and the CFI then regained control. He elected to let the student try to hover again, and as he relinquished control, the helicopter rolled to the left. The CFI attempted to correct the deviation; however, during recovery the low rotor rpm warning horn sounded. He increased the throttle, but the skid made contact with the ground and the helicopter rolled onto its side. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the rotor system and gearbox during the accident sequence.
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
- Abrupt maneuver during maneuvering (hover)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during maneuvering (hover)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Dynamic rollover during post (impact)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring other person › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 846 hours in all; 846 in this make and model; 239 in the last 90 days; 63 in the last 30 days; 777 as pilot in command; 495 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 4, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,616 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 2009; 80 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Delta Leasing Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: CHD Chandler AZ at 8:15 pm
- Destination: CHD Chandler AZ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 100 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 15 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 14°F (-10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:48 pm from IWA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 N74815 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR09CA173.