Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA accident near Gardnerville, Nevada, August 27, 2014
On August 27, 2014 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2008 Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, registered N4187W, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Gardnerville, Nevada. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to monitor the environment and to maintain clearance from wires during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2014 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Gardnerville, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA BETA, built 2008 · all R22 BETAs on the register
- Registration
- N4187W · no longer on the register · serial 4399
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, shortly after the helicopter took off from a riverbank, he felt a tug on the airframe, followed by a "big bang." The pilot was unable to maintain control of the helicopter as it began rotating to the right. The helicopter subsequently impacted the ground, rolled over, and came to rest upright. A postaccident examination of the accident site revealed that the helicopter had struck four small cables that had been attached to a pulley system that was strung across the river. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the helicopter 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
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Awareness of condition
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1,300 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 30, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 490 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 21, 2013; 62 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,369 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (piston); 490 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NA Gardnerville NV at 7:30 pm
- Destination: NA Gardnerville NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from MEV, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.