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20121130027119A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · Apollo Beach, FL · November 30, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
November 30, 2012 · 15:15 local
Place
Apollo Beach, FL
Phase of flight
Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N2626N
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA13FA070
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Airline transport, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours
30,000 total300 in this make and model
N2626NRegistration cancelled Jan 12, 2018 · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 3644 · Built 2004Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R22 BETAEngine modelLycoming O-360 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.

On November 30, 2012, about 1515 eastern standard time, a Robinson R22 beta ii, N2626N, operated by tampa bay aviation, was substantially damaged when it impacted the water, following a main rotor blade separation in flight near Apollo Beach, Florida. The pilot in command was fatally injuried. According to preliminary data, the helicopter departed its home base at clearwater airpark (clw), clearwater, Florida about 1405. It flew over the local area and landed briefly at tpf, before performing another local flight. Witnesses reported that the helicopter was flying along the Beach, from north to south, about 800 feet above ground level. The witnesses heard a bang, followed by a main rotor blade separation. The helicopter then immediately rolled right and descended nose down in to tampa bay, about 200 yards from shore. The helicopter was recovered from tamp bay 2 days later. The engine and rotor mast remained attached to the airframe. The rotor hub remained attached to the rotor mast; however, both spindle assemblies and their respective main rotor blades had separated from the hub and were not recovered. The tailboom separated about 6 feet from the transmission and the tailrotor remained with the tailboom. The rotor hub was retained for further examination and a further search for the main rotor blades was planned.

As the FAA filed it

ON NOVEMBER 30, 2012, ABOUT 1515 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A ROBINSON R22 BETA II, N2626N, OPERATED BY TAMPA BAY AVIATION, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT IMPACTED THE WATER, FOLLOWING A MAIN ROTOR BLADE SEPARATION IN FLIGHT NEAR APOLLO BEACH, FLORIDA. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS FATALLY INJURIED.ACCORDING TO PRELIMINARY DATA, THE HELICOPTER DEPARTED ITS HOME BASE AT CLEARWATER AIRPARK (CLW), CLEARWATER, FLORIDA ABOUT 1405. IT FLEW OVER THE LOCAL AREA AND LANDED BRIEFLY AT TPF, BEFORE PERFORMING ANOTHER LOCAL FLIGHT. WITNESSES REPORTED THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS FLYING ALONG THE BEACH, FROM NORTH TO SOUTH, ABOUT 800 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL. THE WITNESSES HEARD A BANG, FOLLOWED BY A MAIN ROTOR BLADE SEPARATION. THE HELICOPTER THEN IMMEDIATELY ROLLED RIGHT AND DESCENDED NOSE DOWN IN TO TAMPA BAY, ABOUT 200 YARDS FROM SHORE. THE HELICOPTER WAS RECOVERED FROM TAMP BAY 2 DAYS LATER. THE ENGINE AND ROTOR MAST REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE AIRFRAME. THE ROTOR HUB REMAINED ATTACHED TO THE ROTOR MAST; HOWEVER, BOTH SPINDLE ASSEMBLIES AND THEIR RESPECTIVE MAIN ROTOR BLADES HAD SEPARATED FROM THE HUB AND WERE NOT RECOVERED. THE TAILBOOM SEPARATED ABOUT 6 FEET FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND THE TAILROTOR REMAINED WITH THE TAILBOOM. THE ROTOR HUB WAS RETAINED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION AND A FURTHER SEARCH FOR THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES WAS PLANNED.

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 ERA13FA070Accident · 1 fatalField investigationFinal reportApollo Beach, FLMast bumping for reasons that could not be determined because one main rotor blade was not recovered.Nov 30, 2012 · Substantial damage