Robinson Helicopter Company R22 accident near Phoenix, Arizona, April 7, 2022
On April 7, 2022 at about 3:10 am local time, a 2004 Robinson Helicopter Company R22, registered N19VH, was substantially damaged in an accident during standing near Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain helicopter control while on the ground when his attention was diverted, which resulted in a dynamic rollover.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2022 · about 3:10 am local time
- Place
- Phoenix, Arizona · Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta II, built 2004
- Registration
- N19VH · no longer on the register · serial 3528
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot in the helicopter reported that, during a night solo training flight, the helicopter was on the ground with the throttle rolled on and full collective friction applied when he used a flashlight to view the Hobbs meter. Unbeknownst to him, the collective crept up, the helicopter rolled to the right and dynamically rolled over. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilizer, and the main rotor system. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the helicopter that would have precluded normal flight 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 control on ground during taxi (to runway)
- Dynamic rollover during standing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Rotorcraft flight control › (general) › Unintentional use/operation
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 177 hours in all; 177 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 92 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 21, 2021
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,042 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 29, 2022; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 4,044 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHD Chandler AZ at 2:40 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 8:25 pm from KIWA, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KIWA 070325Z 07010G15KT 10SM CLR 28/M09 A3002 RMK ACFT MSHP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 30, 2022. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photograph | 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.