20150917016859A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Robinson Helicopter R44 · Umnak Island, AK · September 17, 2015

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Date: September 17, 2015 · 17:00 local
Place: Umnak Island, AK
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N7162R
Reported as: Robinson Helicopter R44
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Commercial pilot
Pilot’s flight hours: 370 in this make and model19 in the last 90 days

N7162RRegistered now · Robinson Helicopter R44S/N 0670 · Built 1999 Airframe modelRobinson Helicopter R44 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 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.

Airmen was herding cattle on Umnak Island Alaska. The helicopter was in a fifteen foot hover when he heard the sound of grinding metal come from the rear of the helicopter. The airmen push the collective down; during decent he maintained yaw control of the helicopter.

The helicopter landed on it skids and stayed upright; the airmen shut the engine off. During the external inspection of the helicopter the airmen said the tail rotor gear box had separated from the aircraft.

As the FAA filed it

AIRMEN WAS HERDING CATTLE ON UMNAK ISLAND ALASKA. THE HELICOPTER WAS IN A FIFTEEN FOOT HOVER WHEN HE HEARD THE SOUND OF GRINDING METAL COME FROM THE REAR OF THE HELICOPTER. THE AIRMEN PUSH THE COLLECTIVE DOWN; DURING DECENT HE MAINTAINED YAW CONTROL OF THE HELICOPTER.

THE HELICOPTER LANDED ON IT SKIDS AND STAYED UPRIGHT; THE AIRMEN SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. DURING THE EXTERNAL INSPECTION OF THE HELICOPTER THE AIRMEN SAID THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX HAD SEPARATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.