No fatalities

ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II accident at Cedar City, UT, 25 Jul 2022

Cedar City, UT, United States

On July 25, 2022, a ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II operated by SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY was involved in an aviation accident near Cedar City, UT. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm and airspeed and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action to regain helicopter control during the straight-in autorotation which resulted in a hard landing. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 15 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 2026-08-03Data APIEditorial standards

Probable cause

The student pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm and airspeed and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action to regain helicopter control during the straight-in autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.

— NTSB Determination

Contributing factors

Student/instructed pilotAirspeed — Not attained/maintainedInstructor/check pilotDescent rate — Not attained/maintained

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 25 Jul 2022 ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II accident near Cedar City, UT?

The student pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm and airspeed and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action to regain helicopter control during the straight-in autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.

Were there any fatalities in the 25 Jul 2022 ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II accident?

No fatalities were recorded in this accident.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 25 Jul 2022 involved a ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II, operated by SOUTHERN UTAH UNIVERSITY, at Cedar City, UT.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The student pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm and airspeed and the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action to regain helicopter control during the straight-in autorotation which resulted in a hard landing.