Robinson Helicopter R22 accident near Las Vegas, Nevada, January 22, 2016
On January 22, 2016 at about 7:00 pm local time, a 1998 Robinson Helicopter R22, registered N7020U, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Las Vegas, Nevada. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of helicopter control as a result of the loss of tail rotor effectiveness.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 22, 2016 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Las Vegas, Nevada · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, built 1998 · all R22s on the register
- Registration
- N7020U · no longer on the register · serial 2837
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was conducting approach and departure practice in the single main rotor helicopter. The practice area was a flood control basin located in the desert about 3 miles east of mountainous terrain. The basin was bounded on its east side by a 1-mile-long concrete levee oriented approximately north-south, which rose about 50 ft above the basin floor. The west-facing wall of the levee was sloped about 25 degrees to the horizontal and was topped by a level road. After an uneventful approach to the road from the north, the pilot slowed to a hover-taxi, and then, without touching down, he added power and control inputs to begin his departure straight ahead. The helicopter began to yaw to the right, and the pilot was unable to correct the rotation. The helicopter drifted west over the sloped part of the levee, continued to rotate while descending, and the pilot then attempted to land. The tail rotor struck the levee, and the helicopter landed hard on the sloped wall, facing uphill. Postaccident examination of the helicopter and several components did not reveal any deficiencies or failures that would have precluded normal operation. The only definitive wind information was from the pilot's departure airport about 9 miles away from the basin, which reported that the wind was about 6 knots from the east-southeast, and the pilot reported that the wind at the basin was similar. The late-morning timeframe, combined with the local topography and desert environment, led to unpredictable wind and/or gusts at the accident site. The pilot's description of the accident circumstances and events were consistent with a loss of tail rotor effectiveness that occurred as the pilot was attempting the transition from the hover-taxi to the departure segment.
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 initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
- Loss of tail rotor effectiveness during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Yaw control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Variable wind › Effect on operation
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 49 hours in all; 41 in this make and model; 49 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days; 7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,239 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 22, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 1,369 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 SER (piston); 5,239 hours total
- Operator: J & J Aircraft Leasing LLC
The flight
- Departed from: VGT Las Vegas NV at 6:40 pm
- Destination: VGT Las Vegas NV
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.25 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from VGT, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on April 21, 2016. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Record of Communication - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation - CFI | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | On Scene and Examination Information | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Component Exams and Testing | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Maintenance Records Excerpts | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Additional Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Robinson Email re Part Number | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 10 | R22 Height Velocity Chart | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Metars | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Pilot's Sketches of Flight Path | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 13 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.