Robinson Helicopter Company R22 accident near Bountiful, Utah, July 16, 2012
On July 16, 2012 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R22, registered N47WH, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Bountiful, Utah (Bountiful Skypark 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student’s failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 2012 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Bountiful, Utah · Bountiful Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R22
- Registration
- N47WH · registry record · serial 3525
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While performing a simulated power-off autorotation with a power recovery, the certified flight instructor (CFI) and student noted that the main rotor rpm was decaying. About 150 to 200 feet above ground level (agl), the instructor took the flight controls, executed a flare about 50 feet agl, and realized that the helicopter was going to settle. The instructor then attempted a run-on landing, but the helicopter landed hard, spreading the skid landing gear and damaging the rotors, frame, engine and transmission. The helicopter then slid about 75 feet down the runway, departed the runway surface, and rolled four times before coming to rest on its left side. The CFI stated that there were no mechanical problems with the helicopter prior to the accident.
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
- Hard landing during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › (general) › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- 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; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,013 hours in all; 781 in this make and model; 168 in the last 90 days; 29 in the last 30 days; 811 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 5, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Last flight review: April 4, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,611 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 11, 2012; 15 hours since
- Seats: 2
- 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 5:50 pm
- Destination: BTF Bountiful UT
- Runway 16, 4,700 ft by 70 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 9°F (-13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 5:28 pm from SLC, 6 miles away
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 N47WH 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.