What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) On November 27th @ approx. 9:30 am, N4029Q a Robinson R-22 helicopter with two people on board was flying nw of Arlington airport at an unknown altitude and for an unknown reason, broke up in-flight and scattered debris for approx. 3/4 of a mile and impacted a dirt farm field on its left side, both people remained in the aircraft and were pronounced dead at the scene. The beginning of the debris was mostly plexi-glass and small pieces of window frame, the following pieces were all within approx. 50 ft of each other in the middle of the debris field: 2 sections of the tailboom, 1 section of each t/r blade, vertical and horizontal stabilizers intact and broke at the casting, and the main portion of the aircraft approx. 1/4 mile to the nw. Approx. 1/4 mile to the west from the main fuselage was the t/r gearbox and t/r hut with the remainder of each blade still attached. The main rotor blades were still attached, pitch change links broken, one blade rolled 180 degrees on its pitch axis and both blades had severe coning in the positive direction (up). There was no indication of fire.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ON NOVEMBER 27TH @ APPROX. 9:30 AM, N4029Q A ROBINSON R-22 HELICOPTER WITH TWO PEOPLE ON BOARD WAS FLYING NW OF ARLINGTON AIRPORT AT AN UNKNOWN ALTITUDE AND FOR AN UNKNOWN REASON, BROKE UP IN-FLIGHT AND SCATTERED DEBRIS FOR APPROX. 3/4 OF A MILE AND IMPACTED A DIRT FARM FIELD ON ITS LEFT SIDE, BOTH PEOPLE REMAINED IN THE AIRCRAFT AND WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. THE BEGINNING OF THE DEBRIS WAS MOSTLY PLEXI-GLASS AND SMALL PIECES OF WINDOW FRAME, THE FOLLOWING PIECES WERE ALL WITHIN APPROX. 50 FT OF EACH OTHER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DEBRIS FIELD: 2 SECTIONS OF THE TAILBOOM, 1 SECTION OF EACH T/R BLADE, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS INTACT AND BROKE AT THE CASTING, AND THE MAIN PORTION OF THE AIRCRAFT APPROX. 1/4 MILE TO THE NW. APPROX. 1/4 MILE TO THE WEST FROM THE MAIN FUSELAGE WAS THE T/R GEARBOX AND T/R HUT WITH THE REMAINDER OF EACH BLADE STILL ATTACHED. THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WERE STILL ATTACHED, PITCH CHANGE LINKS BROKEN, ONE BLADE ROLLED 180 DEGREES ON ITS PITCH AXIS AND BOTH BLADES HAD SEVERE CONING IN THE POSITIVE DIRECTION (UP). THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF FIRE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.