Ownership guide
Robinson R66
402 registered in the US, built from about 2010 to 2026, 5 seats, most with the Rolls-Royce 250. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 402
- Built
- 2010 to 2026
- Half built by
- 2016
- Seats
- 5
- Engine type
- Turboshaft
- Most common engine
- Rolls-Royce 250
Engines installed
- Rolls-Royce 250382 aircraft (95%) · 53 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
5 current ADs name the R66 airframe, 2 with a repeat action. Its engines carry 53 more. 1 equipment AD names 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
- 2022-19-12Requires the same actions as AD 2021-19- 08 and adds certain Robinson Model R66 helicopters to the applicability and adds additional part-numbered and serial-numbered blades to the applicabilityTail rotor blades · RotorcraftSupersedes 2021-19-08Repeat actionSep 15, 2022
Accident record
67 accidents since 2011, 32 fatal (65 people killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 19 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Loss of control in flight7
- Collision with terrain or object (non-CFIT)6
- Low altitude operation/event5
- Miscellaneous/other5
- Hard landing4
- Loss of engine power (total)3
Phase of flight
- Enroute20
- Maneuvering18
- Landing9
- Takeoff4
- Initial climb2
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-30 | Dawsonville, GA | Maneuvering: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | CEN26FA207 |
| 2026-05-27 | Fort worth, TX | Maneuvering: Dynamic rollover | Serious | CEN26LA203 |
| 2026-03-27 | Arlington, TX | Taxi: Dragged wing/rotor/float/other | None | CEN26LA153 |
| 2026-02-19 | Graford, TX | Landing: Roll over | None | CEN26LA119 |
| 2025-10-23 | Ekalaka, MT | Unknown: Low altitude operation/event | Fatal | WPR26FA031 |
| 2025-09-06 | Lakeville, MN | Unknown: Unknown or undetermined | Fatal | CEN25FA367 |
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
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 (2 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.
- 1 equipment AD names the R66 (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 R66s are registered in the US?
- 402, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Robinson R66 built?
- From about 2010 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2016.
- What engine does the Robinson R66 have?
- Most have the Rolls-Royce 250 (95% of those registered).
- How many accidents has the Robinson R66 had?
- 67 in the NTSB's database since 2011, 32 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 R66 have?
- 5 current ADs name the R66 airframe, 2 of them with a repeat action, and 53 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.