What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) Robinson R-22 N7196J departed spingerville Arizona (D-68) at approximately 1127 MST enroute to chandler, AZ (chd). Aircraft crashed at n 3403601 w 10930122, 13 miles southwest of Eagar, AZ; aircraft destroyed, 2 fatal injuries. Elevation at crash site 8860 feet MSL surrounded by 60 foot trees. Tail boom and tailrotor gear box separated from aircraft after impacting top of tree; one tail rotor blade separated from tailrotor gear box and impacted under impact tree, marks on impact tree match with blade on ground. 4 foot section of tailboom and gearbox were located 66 feet from the main fuselage. One main rotor strike impact was found on this section of tailboom; a corresponding mark was located on the main rotor blade. The vertical fin and horizontal fin was located 11 feet from main fuselage, bracket holding the fins to the tailboom was broken. A 10 foot section (13 inches in diameter) of pine tree was located with the fin and was matched to broken tree at initial tree impact area. Main fuselage impact damage indicated impact on right front area. Fuel was present in right tank. Right fuel cap missing. Continuity of flight controls verified. Left tail rotor pedal full forward position. Collective pitch control in the full up position. Throttle in full open position. Governor switch on. Magneto switch in the right magneto position. ELT was activated and operational, ELT manually turned off. Witness statement at springville airport (D-68) the last departure point indicated N7196J experienced possible control and power problems. On initial attempt to come to a hover helicopter main rotor experienced coning and aircraft rotated 180 degrees with on skid toe touching down before flight crew lowered collective and landed. All 4 witnesses statement were consistent. Right fuel cap was located at the springerville airport. Flight plan was filed with prescott flight service station. Flight plan was not opened. Aircraft weight at takeoff from D-68 was at gross weight or above. Both pilots had a current flight review and meet the sfar 73-1 requirements. No additional causal factors at this time.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) ROBINSON R-22 N7196J DEPARTED SPINGERVILLE ARIZONA (D-68) AT APPROXIMATELY 1127 MST ENROUTE TO CHANDLER, AZ (CHD). AIRCRAFT CRASHED AT N 3403601 W 10930122, 13 MILES SOUTHWEST OF EAGAR, AZ; AIRCRAFT DESTROYED, 2 FATAL INJURIES. ELEVATION AT CRASH SITE 8860 FEET MSL SURROUNDED BY 60 FOOT TREES. TAIL BOOM AND TAILROTOR GEAR BOX SEPARATED FROM AIRCRAFT AFTER IMPACTING TOP OF TREE; ONE TAIL ROTOR BLADE SEPARATED FROM TAILROTOR GEAR BOX AND IMPACTED UNDER IMPACT TREE, MARKS ON IMPACT TREE MATCH WITH BLADE ON GROUND. 4 FOOT SECTION OF TAILBOOM AND GEARBOX WERE LOCATED 66 FEET FROM THE MAIN FUSELAGE. ONE MAIN ROTOR STRIKE IMPACT WAS FOUND ON THIS SECTION OF TAILBOOM; A CORRESPONDING MARK WAS LOCATED ON THE MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE VERTICAL FIN AND HORIZONTAL FIN WAS LOCATED 11 FEET FROM MAIN FUSELAGE, BRACKET HOLDING THE FINS TO THE TAILBOOM WAS BROKEN. A 10 FOOT SECTION (13 INCHES IN DIAMETER) OF PINE TREE WAS LOCATED WITH THE FIN AND WAS MATCHED TO BROKEN TREE AT INITIAL TREE IMPACT AREA. MAIN FUSELAGE IMPACT DAMAGE INDICATED IMPACT ON RIGHT FRONT AREA. FUEL WAS PRESENT IN RIGHT TANK. RIGHT FUEL CAP MISSING. CONTINUITY OF FLIGHT CONTROLS VERIFIED. LEFT TAIL ROTOR PEDAL FULL FORWARD POSITION. COLLECTIVE PITCH CONTROL IN THE FULL UP POSITION. THROTTLE IN FULL OPEN POSITION. GOVERNOR SWITCH ON. MAGNETO SWITCH IN THE RIGHT MAGNETO POSITION. ELT WAS ACTIVATED AND OPERATIONAL, ELT MANUALLY TURNED OFF. WITNESS STATEMENT AT SPRINGVILLE AIRPORT (D-68) THE LAST DEPARTURE POINT INDICATED N7196J EXPERIENCED POSSIBLE CONTROL AND POWER PROBLEMS. ON INITIAL ATTEMPT TO COME TO A HOVER HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR EXPERIENCED CONING AND AIRCRAFT ROTATED 180 DEGREES WITH ON SKID TOE TOUCHING DOWN BEFORE FLIGHT CREW LOWERED COLLECTIVE AND LANDED. ALL 4 WITNESSES STATEMENT WERE CONSISTENT. RIGHT FUEL CAP WAS LOCATED AT THE SPRINGERVILLE AIRPORT. FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED WITH PRESCOTT FLIGHT SERVICE STATION. FLIGHT PLAN WAS NOT OPENED. AIRCRAFT WEIGHT AT TAKEOFF FROM D-68 WAS AT GROSS WEIGHT OR ABOVE. BOTH PILOTS HAD A CURRENT FLIGHT REVIEW AND MEET THE SFAR 73-1 REQUIREMENTS. NO ADDITIONAL CAUSAL FACTORS AT THIS TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.