Robinson Helicopter Company R22 accident near Alta, Utah, July 8, 2013
On July 8, 2013 at about 2:20 pm local time, a 2004 Robinson Helicopter Company R22, registered N712U, was destroyed in an accident during enroute (descent) near Alta, Utah (Heber City 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 decision to follow a route over mountainous terrain in conditions that exceeded the helicopter’s ability to maintain terrain clearance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 2013 · about 2:20 pm local time
- Place
- Alta, Utah · Heber City · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta II, built 2004
- Registration
- N712U · registry record · serial 3676
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the outbound training flight on the morning of the accident followed roads through mountain passes. For the return flight, the flight instructor decided to take a more direct route and fly over 11,000-foot-high mountainous peaks. The pilot undergoing instruction was controlling the helicopter during the climb, which was uneventful. As the helicopter crested the peak, the pilot initiated a descent and then began to raise the collective to reduce the descent rate; however, as he did so, the rotor speed began to decay, and the low rotor rpm warning sounded. The flight instructor took over the flight controls but was unable to arrest the descent, and he subsequently chose to perform a forced landing to rocky terrain. The helicopter struck the ground, tumbled, and was destroyed; both occupants sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operating at a density altitude equal to or just above the helicopter's maximum operating density altitude of 14,000 feet. At the altitude of the accident site, the helicopter was not capable of hovering in-ground-effect; therefore, it was unlikely that a landing could have been successfully accomplished in the rocky terrain. Further, after cresting the peak, the helicopter likely encountered downdrafts due to the mountainous terrain surrounding the accident site, which further degraded the helicopter's performance. A postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Loss of lift during enroute (descent)
- Loss of control in flight during enroute (descent) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Aircraft capability › Climb capability › Capability exceeded
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Downdraft › Not specified
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 855.7 hours in all; 485.7 in this make and model; 208.3 in the last 90 days; 71.1 in the last 30 days; 783.7 as pilot in command; 552 on instruments
- Last flight review: August 23, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter
- Flight time: 176.6 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 20.8 in the last 90 days; 9.8 in the last 30 days; 50.9 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 6, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 8,788 hours total
- Operator: Upper Limit Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: 36U Heber City UT at 2:00 pm
- Destination: SLC Salt Lake City UT
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.20 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from 36U, 13 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 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.