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20140919017779A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA · Cahokia, IL · September 19, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
September 19, 2014 · 10:15 local
Place
Cahokia, IL
Airport
St Louis Downtown
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N115DD
NTSB investigation
NTSBCEN14LA517
Reported as
Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta
Reported engine
Lycoming O-360 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificates
Commercial pilot, flight instructor
N115DDRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R22 BETAS/N 3494Airframe 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.

Helicopter was 9.1 hours out of annual inspection. Shortly after takeoff, the clutch warning light illuminated and stayed on. Pilot made an immediate landing in a parking lot approximately two miles from airport. With helicopter running he exited helicopter and looked at clutch area, saw no problems, and departed enroute back to airport. During approach to airport at 50 ft AGL the helicopter began to vibrate and loud noises were coming from rear of helicopter. Pilot initiated auto-rotation and aircraft spun approximately 90 degrees after initial contact with the ground (grass area next to runway). Main rotor severed tailboom and there was heavy damage to engine/ transmission belt area along with cooling fan and fan duct. Drive belts were found to be tangled up in drive pulley area. Post accident investigation found that a bolt attaching the engine cooling fan to the engine drive pulley shaft was loose and had contacted the drive pulley bearing. Additionally the drive pulley bearing did not have any lubricant on or around it. The drive pulley bearing failed, resulting in shaft failure.

As the FAA filed it

HELICOPTER WAS 9.1 HOURS OUT OF ANNUAL INSPECTION. SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE CLUTCH WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON. PILOT MADE AN IMMEDIATE LANDING IN A PARKING LOT APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES FROM AIRPORT. WITH HELICOPTER RUNNING HE EXITED HELICOPTER AND LOOKED AT CLUTCH AREA, SAW NO PROBLEMS, AND DEPARTED ENROUTE BACK TO AIRPORT. DURING APPROACH TO AIRPORT AT 50 FT AGL THE HELICOPTER BEGAN TO VIBRATE AND LOUD NOISES WERE COMING FROM REAR OF HELICOPTER. PILOT INITIATED AUTO-ROTATION AND AIRCRAFT SPUN APPROXIMATELY 90 DEGREES AFTER INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE GROUND (GRASS AREA NEXT TO RUNWAY). MAIN ROTOR SEVERED TAILBOOM AND THERE WAS HEAVY DAMAGE TO ENGINE/ TRANSMISSION BELT AREA ALONG WITH COOLING FAN AND FAN DUCT. DRIVE BELTS WERE FOUND TO BE TANGLED UP IN DRIVE PULLEY AREA. POST ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION FOUND THAT A BOLT ATTACHING THE ENGINE COOLING FAN TO THE ENGINE DRIVE PULLEY SHAFT WAS LOOSE AND HAD CONTACTED THE DRIVE PULLEY BEARING. ADDITIONALLY THE DRIVE PULLEY BEARING DID NOT HAVE ANY LUBRICANT ON OR AROUND IT. THE DRIVE PULLEY BEARING FAILED, RESULTING IN SHAFT FAILURE.

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 CEN14LA517Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportCahokia, ILThe pilot’s poor decision to take off with the clutch warning light illuminated, which resulted in the total failure of the fan assembly due to a lack of lubrication. Contributing to the accident was the mechanic’s failure to lubricate the lower actuator…Sep 19, 2014 · Substantial damage