Robinson Helicopter Company R22 accident near Kapolei, Hawaii, November 11, 2022
On November 11, 2022 at about 5:22 pm local time, a 1998 Robinson Helicopter Company R22, registered N948WB, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (hover) near Kapolei, Hawaii (Kalaeloa (John Rodgers Fld) airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot receiving instruction’s rapid reduction in throttle during hover autorotation training which resulted in a loss of control and collision with the ground.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 11, 2022 · about 5:22 pm local time
- Place
- Kapolei, Hawaii · Kalaeloa (John Rodgers Fld) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R22, built 1998
- Registration
- N948WB · no longer on the register · serial 2874
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that, while conducting hover autorotation training from about one foot above the ground, the pilot receiving instruction quickly closed the throttle. The helicopter subsequently descended rapidly, caught the left skid on the pavement and rolled over to the left. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the tail boom and main rotor blades. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (hover) defining event
- Simulated/training event during maneuvering (hover)
- Autorotation Hard landing
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Student/instructed pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 414 hours in all; 141 in this make and model; 182 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 625 hours in all; 507 in this make and model; 84.2 in the last 90 days; 18.5 in the last 30 days; 541 as pilot in command; 224 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 494 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 23, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,370 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 10,899 hours total
- Operator: Hawaii Pacific Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: PHNL Honolulu HI at 3:49 pm
- Destination: PHJR Kapolei HI
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4L, 8,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 10 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from PHJR, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR PHJR 120253Z 03010G16KT 10SM FEW049 26/14 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP170 T02610139 55000=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 31, 2023. 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, 13 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photos | PDF, 2 pages | 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.