# Incident 20141229023509I: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, Mesa, AZ, December 29, 2014

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 29, 2014, 19:25 local time
- Place: Mesa, AZ
- Airport: Mesa Gateway
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: QUHS
- Location: 33.3078° N, 111.6556° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=33.3078&lon=-111.6556&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7041X, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7041X) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA (registry code 7640110, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-360-J2A (registry code 42314, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-j2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22 BETA
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-360-J2A
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR15IA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15IA080) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20141229023509I

## Narrative

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

PILOT STATEMENT:

"I WAS ON THE DOWNWIND OF A NOMAL PATTERN,RUNWAY30 WAS IN USED.I WAS TRYING TO CLIMB TO 1900 AT 60KT,AFTER I WAS THERE I TRIED TO GET MY AIRSPEED BACK TO 75KT,AT THAT MOMENT I HAD FEEL THE ABNOMAL VIBRATION,JUST AFTER A SECOND I CAN SMEEL SOMETHING WAS BURNING,AND RIGHT AFTER THAT THE LOW RPM WARNING LIGHT AND HORN WAS ON.SO I DESIDED TO ENTER AN AOTOROTATION AND MADE A RADIO CALL TO TOWER IMMEDIATELY,THAN I JUST PICKED A GOOD LANDING SPOT TO HAVE A EMERGENCY LANDING.AFTER THE LANDING I SHUTDOWN THE HELICOPTER AND TURN OFF THE FUEL SHUT-OFF VALVE AND CHECK THE HELICOPTER FOR ANY FUEL LEAKING OR OIL LEAKING.I FOUND THE HELICOTER WAS ALL RIGHT,SO I MONICTER THE RADIO AND COMMUNICATE WITH KIWA TOWER WITH MY LANDING LIGHT AND STROBE LIGHT STILL ON,WAITING FOR HELP."

DISASSEMBLY OF AFFECTED AREA REVEALED A FRACTURED FANSHAFT. VISUAL INSPECTION OF EXPOSED FANSHAFT SHOWS  BEACH MARKING OR STEP WEAR, CONSISTENT WITH METAL FATIGUE.  SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE COOLING FAN SHROUD AND THE MAIN AND ROTOR DRIVE BELT TENSIONER DISCONNECTED.

PARTS SECURED FOR NTSB/MANUFACTURER EVALUATION.

## 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 WPR15IA080](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR15IA080), Dec 30, 2014: Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta II (N7041X), Phoenix, AZ, incident, no damage. Probable cause: The failure of the fanshaft due to fatigue.

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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