# Incident 20171017020059I: Robinson Helicopter Co R-44 II, Waipio, HI, October 17, 2017 - Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported - Date: October 17, 2017, 12:58 local time - Place: Waipio, HI - Damage: No damage - Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight - Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91) - Location: 21.4144° N, 157.9966° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Waipio, HI, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=21.4144&lon=-157.9966&mi=10 - Aircraft: N422PE (not matched to a registry record) - Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO R-44 II - Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-540-AE1A5 - People aboard: 2 - Fatal injuries: 0 - Other injuries: 0 - FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/) - Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20171017020059I ## Narrative As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. 10/17/2017 - STATEMENT FROM PIC: ?DURING CRUISE FLIGHT AT 100 KTS, 22? MP AND 1-200 FPM DECENT DOWN TO 1000? WE BEGAN TO FEEL A STRONG VIBRATION. I TOOK CONTROLS AND INITIATED A DECENT TO LAND, REGI MADE A CALL TO ALERT APPROACH (119.1) THAT WE WOULD MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. A CROSS CHECK OF ALL INSTRUMENTS SHOWED NOTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY, HOWEVER 5-10 SECONDS LATER THE ENGINE STOPPED ABRUPTLY. I ENTERED AN AUTOROTATION, TURNED DIRECTLY TO THE WAIPIO SOCCER FIELDS AND MADE A MAYDAY CALL WITH OUR LOCATION OF INTENDED LANDING. THE VIBRATIONS STOPPED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING ENGINE FAILURE AND WE MADE THE SOCCER FIELDS WITH A FULL 20+ KNOT HEADWIND COMPONENT. ENGINE OFF TOUCHDOWN WAS SOFT WITH 2-3 FEET GROUND RUN AND NO DAMAGE TO THE PEOPLE, AIRCRAFT OR FIELD. OUR ROTOR RPM DID NOT EXCEED ANY LIMITATIONS AND THE ONLY DAMAGE WAS THAT CAUSED TO THE ENGINE DURING THE FAILURE WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT. I MADE ONE FINAL RADIO CALL ALERTING 119.1 THAT WE WERE ON THE GROUND, EVERYONE SAFE AND NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE NECESSARY.? 10/17/2017 - ASI RDP - N422PE WAS TRANSPORTED BACK TO JRF FROM THE WAIPIO COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL FIELD ON A FLATBED TRAILER AND PLACED IN OWNERS T-HANGAR APPROXIMATELY 9 MILES AWAY. 10/18/2017 - I ARRIVED AT THE OWNERS T-HANGAR AT 1200 TO START MY INVESTIGATION. AIRCRAFT WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, THERE WAS NO SIGNS OF STRUCTURAL DAMAGE, THE SKIDS HAD NO SCRATCHES, DENTS, AND NO EVIDENCE IT LANDED IN A COMMUNITY RECREATIONAL PARK. THE MAIN AND TAIL ROTORS TO INCLUDE THE TAIL BOOM WERE INTACT AND ALSO IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THE PILOT DID MENTION THE HELICOPTER VIBRATING AND THE ENGINE SUDDEN STOPPAGE. I DID NOT SEE ANY EVIDENCE OF CRACKED ENGINE PARTS OR SIGNS OF FLUID LEAKING. RECOMMENDATION WAS MADE BY ENGINE MANUFACTURER TO SHIP ENGINE SERIAL NUMBER L-36586-48-E TO ITS REPAIR FACILITY. MANUFACTURER SUSPECTS FAULTY CONNECTING ROD BUSHINGS ASSOCIATED WITH AD 2017-16-11 MAY BE THE CAUSE OF THE SUDDEN ENGINE VIBRATION CAUSING PIC TO SHUTDOWN THE ENGINE AND MAKE A SUCCESSFUL LANDING. HELICOPTER HAS LOGGED LESS THAN 100 HOURS SINCE PURCHASED NEW JAN 2017. AIRFRAME AND ENGINE LOG BOOK ENTRYS WAS CHECKED AND VERIFIED REFLECTING ALL MAINTENANCE ACTIONS PRIOR TO AND AFTER INCIDENT WITH ZERO DISCREPANCIES NOTED. 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.