# Accident 20110322006559A: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, Campbell Hall, NY, March 22, 2011

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 22, 2011, 13:15 local time
- Place: Campbell Hall, NY
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 40.5058° N, 74.2586° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=40.5058&lon=-74.2586&mi=10
- Aircraft: N259TW, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N259TW-2017-01-26) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-360 series (registry code 41575, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-360 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 2,000 total, 1,400 in this make and model, 85 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA11LA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA204) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110322006559A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

THE SUBJECT PILOT STATED WHILE IN CRUSE FLIGHT HE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND SMELLED SOMETHING UNUSUAL, AT THAT POINT HE SENSED HE WAS LOOSING POWER AND ATTITUDE HE THEN ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION. WHILE ATEMPTING TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A  GRASSY FIELD THE RIGHT HAND SKID GEAR INPACTED THE GROUND AND THE AIRCRAFT ROLLED OVER ON ITS RIGHT SIDE AND WAS SUBSTANTUALLY DAMAGED.THE FOLLOWING WAS NOTED OF THE ENGINE TO MAIN ROTOR DRIVE BELTS.1) - ONE OF THE TWO SETS OF MAIN ROTOR V-DRIVE BELTS WERE FOUND TO BE SEPARATED AND BROKEN IN HALF.2) -  THE REMAINING SET OF MAIN ROTOR V-DRIVE BELTS WERE FOUND TO BE TURNED INSIDE OUT WITH THE VEE GROOVE FACING OUTWARDS, THERE WAS A WEAR PATTERN ON THE BELTS  INDICATING THEY WERE RUNNING ON THE PULLEYS IN THE INSIDEOUT DIRECTION.UPON INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS IT WAS NOTED THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT HAD UNDERGONE A 2200 HOUR INSPECTION  86.6 HOURS PRIOR TO THIS ACCIDENT, AT THAT TIME THE DRIVE BELTS WERE REPLACED.  THE SUBJECT AIRMAN WAS ASKED IF HE WAS AWARE OF HOW LONG IT TOOK FROM WHEN THE MAIN ROTOR CLUTCH SWITCH WAS ENGAGED FOR THE MAIN ROTOR TO START TURNING, HE STATED ON THE LAST FLIGHT PRIOR TO THE AUTOROTATION IT TOOK AT LEAST SEVENTEEN (17) SECONDS OR LONGER HE ALSO STATED IN THE FLIGHTS PRIOR HE HAD NOTICED IT TAKING SUBSTSNTUALLY LONGER THAN TEN (10) SECONDS FOR THE MAIN ROTORS TO START TURNING AFTER CLUTCH SWITCH ENGAGEMENT. THE ROBINSON HELICOPTER PILOT'S OPERATING HANDBOOK STATES DURING ENGINE START UP THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES SHOULD TURN IN LESS THAN FIVE (5) SECONDS. THE ROBINSON HELICOPTER MAINTENANCE MANUAL STATES IN A CAUTION AND NOTE THAT A DELAY OF MORE THAN FIVE (5) SECONDS BETWEEN CLUTCH SWITCH ENGAGEMENT AND ROTOR TURNING INDICATES EXCESSIVE SLACK IN THE BELTS AND TO PREFORM A BELT TENSION ACTUATOR LIMIT SCREW ADJUSTMENT TO OBTAIN THE PROPER BELT TENSION.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA11LA204](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11LA204), Mar 22, 2011: Robinson R22 (N259TW), Goshen, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: The pilot’s failure to adhere to published preflight checklist limitations and procedures, resulting in excessive slack and subsequent failure of the power transmission belts and a total loss of…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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