Robinson R22 - BETA incident near New Plymouth, New Zealand, Nz, March 30, 2013
On March 30, 2013 at about 1:00 pm local time, a Robinson R22 - BETA (helicopter), registered ZKHIE, suffered minor damage in an incident during maneuvering near New Plymouth, New Zealand. No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 30, 2013 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Plymouth, New Zealand, New Zealand · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 - BETA II · all R22 - BETAs on the register
- Registration
- ZKHIE · no longer on the register · serial 3724
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 30, 2013, at 1300 local time, a Robinson R22 Beta II, ZK-HIE, while maneuvering during an instructional flight near New Plymouth, New Zealand, experienced a sudden roll to the right and pitched down. The certified flight instructor and student pilot were not injured and were able to regain helicopter control and landed without further incident. The maneuver resulted in mast bumping and damage that required the replacement of many of the main rotor system components. The helicopter was operated by Ice Aviation Limited under the pertinent civil regulations of the government of New Zealand. The investigation is under the jurisdiction of the Government of New Zealand. This report is for information purposes only and contains only information released by the Government of New Zealand. Further information pertaining to this accident may be obtained from: Transport Accident Investigation Commission P.O. Box 10323, The Terrace Wellington 6143, New Zealand Level 16, 80 the Terrace Wellington 6011, New Zealand Phone 0800 188 926 Fax +64 4 499 1510 Website: http://www.taic.org.nz
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 control in flight during maneuvering defining event
The aircraft
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 0 hours total
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.