Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II accident near Scottsdale, Arizona, June 17, 2012
On June 17, 2012 at about 5:45 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, registered N808WH, was substantially damaged in an accident near Scottsdale, Arizona (Scottsdale Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm during a practice autorotation, which resulted in a loss of helicopter control and subsequent hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 17, 2012 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Scottsdale, Arizona · Scottsdale Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II
- Registration
- N808WH · registry record · serial 12092
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, during the power recovery portion of a practice autorotation, he rolled on the throttle to increase the engine rpm. However, the engine rpm did not increase, and the main rotor rpm started to decay. The flight instructor's attempts to regain the main rotor rpm were unsuccessful, and he performed an emergency autorotation to the ground. The helicopter impacted a soft landing surface and came to rest on its left side. The fuselage and the tailboom sustained substantial damage. A postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. During an engine test run, the engine ran smoothly at idle and 100 percent rpm. According to Federal Aviation Administration guidance, the power recovery portion of a practice autorotation should be achieved by properly coordinating the upward collective pitch control with an increase in the throttle. It is likely that the pilot did not increase the throttle in proportion to the increase in collective pitch, which resulted in the loss of rotor rpm.
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 Loss of engine power (partial) defining event
- Autorotation Hard landing
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 › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 152 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 31, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 753 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 13, 2012; 89 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-AE1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDL Scottsdale AZ at 5:40 pm
- Destination: SDL Scottsdale AZ
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 97°F (36°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.90 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from SDL, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 |
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.