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19991017041849A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robsin R22 · Sunny Isles, FL · October 17, 1999

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
October 17, 1999 · 12:00 local
Place
Sunny Isles, FL
Phase of flight
Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N83574
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA00LA005
Reported as
Robsin R22
Reported engine
Lycoming O320B2C
Fatal injuries
0
Pilot’s flight hours
276 total198 in this make and model60 in the last 90 days
N83574Registration cancelled Aug 23, 2013 · Robinson Helicopter R22 ALPHAS/N 0301 · Built 1983Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 ALPHAEngine modelLycoming 0-320 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) Helicopter lost power at low altitude, made an emergency landing 50 feet off-shore at haulover beach, 10800 collins avenue, miami beach, Florida-2 occupants taken to area hospitals. Post accident inspection of wreckage revealed "sprague clutch failure", disconnecting the main and tail rotor from the power plant, causing loss of lift. NTSB impounded clutch assembly. Investigaion on going. (.4) after about 1 hour of flight at about 200 feet offshore, t he helicopter was observed to descend from about 500 feet AGL, to about 200 feet AGL, and head directly toward the beach. Once overhead the beach, the pilot stated the cylinder head and oil temperature indications started rising rapidly, and he looked for a place to autorotate. Finding no suitable area due to the density of bathers and losing power, the pilot elected to ditch offshore in about 8 feet of water. Post crash test run of the engine revealed normal operation except that the magneto timing had been adjusted as FAR advanced as possible. Factory post crash analysis of the main rotor clutch and shaft revealed the clutch had sustained two severe overtorque events, most li kely as a result of two or more main rotor blade strikes during the accidnet.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) HELICOPTER LOST POWER AT LOW ALTITUDE, MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING 50 FEET OFF-SHORE AT HAULOVER BEACH, 10800 COLLINS AVENUE, MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA-2 OCCUPANTS TAKEN TO AREA HOSPITALS. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF WRECKAGE REVEALED "SPRAGUE CLUTCH FAILURE", DISCONNECTING THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTOR FROM THE POWER PLANT, CAUSING LOSS OF LIFT. NTSB IMPOUNDED CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. INVESTIGAION ON GOING. (.4) AFTER ABOUT 1 HOUR OF FLIGHT AT ABOUT 200 FEET OFFSHORE, T HE HELICOPTER WAS OBSERVED TO DESCEND FROM ABOUT 500 FEET AGL, TO ABOUT 200 FEET AGL, AND HEAD DIRECTLY TOWARD THE BEACH. ONCE OVERHEAD THE BEACH, THE PILOT STATED THE CYLINDER HEAD AND OIL TEMPERATURE INDICATIONS STARTED RISING RAPIDLY, AND HE LOOKED FOR A PLACE TO AUTOROTATE. FINDING NO SUITABLE AREA DUE TO THE DENSITY OF BATHERS AND LOSING POWER, THE PILOT ELECTED TO DITCH OFFSHORE IN ABOUT 8 FEET OF WATER. POST CRASH TEST RUN OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NORMAL OPERATION EXCEPT THAT THE MAGNETO TIMING HAD BEEN ADJUSTED AS FAR ADVANCED AS POSSIBLE. FACTORY POST CRASH ANALYSIS OF THE MAIN ROTOR CLUTCH AND SHAFT REVEALED THE CLUTCH HAD SUSTAINED TWO SEVERE OVERTORQUE EVENTS, MOST LI KELY AS A RESULT OF TWO OR MORE MAIN ROTOR BLADE STRIKES DURING THE ACCIDNET.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA00LA005Accident · Minor injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSunny Isles, FLA loss of engine power while maneuvering due to improper ignition timing by unknown person(s) resulting in an emergency descent and collision with the water.Oct 17, 1999 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N83574 · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 19830512018939APwr Off Run Land (Autorotation · Torrance, CAMade hard autorotation landing on a certification flight. Chopped off tail boom. Was over design gross weight.May 12, 1983 · Substantial damage