Ownership guide
Robinson R22
792 registered in the US, built from about 1980 to 2024, 2 seats, most with the Lycoming O-360. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 792
- Built
- 1980 to 2024
- Half built by
- 1999
- Seats
- 2
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Lycoming O-360
Engines installed
- Lycoming O-360422 aircraft (53%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
- Lycoming O-320315 aircraft (40%) · 24 ADs, 3 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
35 current ADs name the R22 airframe, 6 with a repeat action; 8 more were superseded. Its engines carry 48 more. 2 equipment ADs name the model.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2024-04-02Requires visually checking and inspecting certain part-numbered and serial-numbered TRB tip caps for evidence of corrosion and, depending on the results, removing the corrosionTail rotor blades · RotorcraftRepeat actionFeb 27, 2024
- 2014-23-16Requires a terminating action for those inspection requirementsMain rotor blades · RotorcraftSupersedes 2011-12-10Repeat actionDec 5, 2014
- 2003-04-04Requires inspecting the tail rotor pitch control assembly for roughness or binding of the pitch control bearings (bearings) by hand-rotating the pitch control bearing housing (housing)Robinson Helicopter Company Model R22 Helicopters · RotorcraftRepeat actionFeb 19, 2003
- 2000-20-51Requires checking the yoke half assembly (yoke) for any crack and replacing a cracked yoke assembly before further flightRobinson Helicopter Company Model R22 Helicopters · RotorcraftRepeat actionNov 7, 2000
- 95-23-05Robinson Helicopter Company HelicoptersRotorcraftRepeat actionNov 22, 1995
- 94-15-08Robinson Helicopter Company HelicoptersRotorcraftRepeat actionAug 9, 1994
Accident record
334 accidents since 2008, 71 fatal (97 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 34 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight77
- Hard landing40
- Dynamic rollover22
- Loss of engine power (total)18
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT)16
- Miscellaneous/other16
Phase of flight
- Maneuvering126
- Landing49
- Enroute43
- Autorotation37
- Approach19
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-03 | Mcminnville, TN | Autorotation: Hard landing | Minor | ERA26LA327 |
| 2026-08-24 | Milton, FL | Maneuvering: Loss of control in flight | Minor | ERA26LA313 |
| 2026-08-15 | Miramar, FL | Maneuvering: Dynamic rollover | None | ERA26LA304 |
| 2026-07-14 | Monroe, NC | Maneuvering: Dynamic rollover | None | ERA26LA274 |
| 2026-04-20 | Jericho, OF | Unknown: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | GAA26WA176 |
| 2026-02-06 | Quambone, OF | Unknown: Unknown or undetermined | Serious | GAA26WA148 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Filled in for a Robinson R22 with the Lycoming O-360: the engine maker's published overhaul time. Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (6 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- 2 equipment ADs name the R22 (a muffler, a seat belt, a display): find out which of that equipment is installed.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
Questions
- How many Robinson R22s are registered in the US?
- 792, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Robinson R22 built?
- From about 1980 to 2024. Half of those registered today were built by 1999.
- What engine does the Robinson R22 have?
- Most have the Lycoming O-360 (53% of those registered); others have the Lycoming O-320.
- How many accidents has the Robinson R22 had?
- 334 in the NTSB's database since 2008, 71 of them fatal. The most common defining event was loss of control in flight. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Robinson R22 have?
- 35 current ADs name the R22 airframe, 6 of them with a repeat action, and 48 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.