What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 21, 2025, about 1108 central daylight time, a privacy data omitted R22 beta ii helicopter sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident near Springfield, Missouri. The flight instructor and the pilot receiving instruction both sustained serious injuries. During an autorotation, after the entry and the engine power at idle, the flight instructor told the pilot to “steer” multiple times and he even gave the cyclic a “nudge.” the helicopter was oriented to about a 240° heading, while drifting past the runway centerline to the south. The helicopter was drifting to the left and the flight instructor reported it was unable to turn to the right. The helicopter continued to travel to the south beyond airport property toward a public sports complex. The flight instructor initiated a flare. The helicopter impacted a grass field upright near trees in the public sports complex, and it came to rest on its left side. The CFI did not initiate a power recovery during the autorotation. The helicopter sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, the main rotor system, the tail cone, the empennage, and the tail rotor system. Postaccident examination of the airframe confirmed flight control continuity. The closest meteorological reporting station to 3DW is the Springfield branson national airport (sgf), Springfield, Missouri. Sgf is about 7.90 miles to the northwest of 3DW. The
Following meteorological data was obtained from the automated surface observing system at sgf: at 1052, the wind originated from 310°, with a wind speed of 11 KTS, and gusting to 21 KTS. At 1152, the wind originated from 290°, with a wind speed of 14 KTS, and gusting to 26 KTS. A review of meteorological data found some speed shear in the lowest 2,000 ft AGL of about 15 KTS above average surface magnitudes near 3DW for a time near the accident time. There were no signs of directional shear found.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 21, 2025, ABOUT 1108 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME, A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ R22 BETA II HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT NEAR SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND THE PILOT RECEIVING INSTRUCTION BOTH SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. DURING AN AUTOROTATION, AFTER THE ENTRY AND THE ENGINE POWER AT IDLE, THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR TOLD THE PILOT TO “STEER” MULTIPLE TIMES AND HE EVEN GAVE THE CYCLIC A “NUDGE.” THE HELICOPTER WAS ORIENTED TO ABOUT A 240° HEADING, WHILE DRIFTING PAST THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE TO THE SOUTH. THE HELICOPTER WAS DRIFTING TO THE LEFT AND THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR REPORTED IT WAS UNABLE TO TURN TO THE RIGHT. THE HELICOPTER CONTINUED TO TRAVEL TO THE SOUTH BEYOND AIRPORT PROPERTY TOWARD A PUBLIC SPORTS COMPLEX. THE FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR INITIATED A FLARE. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED A GRASS FIELD UPRIGHT NEAR TREES IN THE PUBLIC SPORTS COMPLEX, AND IT CAME TO REST ON ITS LEFT SIDE. THE CFI DID NOT INITIATE A POWER RECOVERY DURING THE AUTOROTATION. THE HELICOPTER SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE, THE MAIN ROTOR SYSTEM, THE TAIL CONE, THE EMPENNAGE, AND THE TAIL ROTOR SYSTEM. POSTACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME CONFIRMED FLIGHT CONTROL CONTINUITY. THE CLOSEST METEOROLOGICAL REPORTING STATION TO 3DW IS THE SPRINGFIELD BRANSON NATIONAL AIRPORT (SGF), SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI. SGF IS ABOUT 7.90 MILES TO THE NORTHWEST OF 3DW. THE
FOLLOWING METEOROLOGICAL DATA WAS OBTAINED FROM THE AUTOMATED SURFACE OBSERVING SYSTEM AT SGF: AT 1052, THE WIND ORIGINATED FROM 310°, WITH A WIND SPEED OF 11 KTS, AND GUSTING TO 21 KTS. AT 1152, THE WIND ORIGINATED FROM 290°, WITH A WIND SPEED OF 14 KTS, AND GUSTING TO 26 KTS. A REVIEW OF METEOROLOGICAL DATA FOUND SOME SPEED SHEAR IN THE LOWEST 2,000 FT AGL OF ABOUT 15 KTS ABOVE AVERAGE SURFACE MAGNITUDES NEAR 3DW FOR A TIME NEAR THE ACCIDENT TIME. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF DIRECTIONAL SHEAR FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.