Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Troutdale, Oregon, July 29, 2009
On July 29, 2009 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N7176W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Troutdale, Oregon (Portland-Troutdale airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's failure to maintain adequate main rotor RPM.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 29, 2009 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Troutdale, Oregon · Portland-Troutdale · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N7176W · no longer on the register · serial 2735
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After practicing a series of autorotations, the flight instructor and his student attempted to complete a 180-degree autorotation. The student began a stabilized autorotation from the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. According to the flight instructor, during the turn the student allowed the nose of the helicopter to drop; he was instructed to correct this attitude by applying aft cyclic. When the student completed the turn at an altitude of 200 to 250 ft agl and at a speed of 80 to 85 knots, the flight instructor believed that the outcome of the maneuver was in doubt. The flight instructor then took control of the helicopter and began to initiate a recovery by raising the nose and attempting to increase the throttle and collective to arrest the descent rate. According to the flight instructor, the RPM decayed and the low rotor rpm horn came on at 150 to 100 ft agl. The helicopter landed hard and subsequently slid off the north side of the taxiway. The forward section of the left skid contacted the soft dirt, which resulted in the helicopter turning to the left and nosing over. Examination of the aircraft by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed substantial damage to the helicopter consisted of the separation of the tail boom assembly, damage to the firewall, the left forward frame, and left skid support structure. The flight instructor reported no mechanical anomalies with the helicopter or flight control systems.
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
- Autorotation Hard landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Prop/rotor parameters › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,130 hours in all; 1,116 in this make and model; 192 in the last 90 days; 99 in the last 30 days; 1,040 as pilot in command; 897 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 16, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 57 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 5 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,135 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 2, 2009; 99 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Hillsboro Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: KTTD Troutdale OR at 5:45 pm
- Destination: KTTD Troutdale OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 5,399 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 14 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.76 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KTTD
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.
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.