# Accident 20190617007189A: Robinson Helicopter R44, Key West, FL, June 17, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 17, 2019, 07:51 local time
- Place: Key West, FL
- Airport: Key West International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Operator: ZLTJ
- Location: 24.5517° N, 81.7644° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=24.5517&lon=-81.7644&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1241W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1241W-2020-01-03) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 (registry code 7640120, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-540-F1B5 (registry code 42353, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-540-f1b5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER R44
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-540-F1B5
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 1
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB CEN19LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA174) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190617007189A

## Narrative

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

ON JUNE 17, 2019 A PROPERLY CREDEINTAL PILOT FLYING TWO PASSENGER FOR AN AIR TOUR COMPANY DEPARTED KEY WEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.  THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED TAXIWAY 5A EAST BOUND AND ACCELERATED THE HELICOPTER TO APPROXIMATELY 70 KIAS.

APPROXIMATELY 46 SECONDS INTO THE FLIGHT A HIGH FREQUENCY VIBRATION OCCURS AND THE PILOT HAD CROSS THE SHORELINE AND ADVISES THE TOWER HE NEEDS TO RETURN TO EYW.

THE VIBRATION LAST FOR APPROXIMATLEY 39 SECONDS AND A BANG AND TEARING CAN BE HEARD FROM THE REAR OF THE AIRCRAFT BY ALL OCCUPANTS AND A RIGHT YAW OCCURS.

THE PILOT ENTERS INTO AN AUTOROTATION FROM APPROXIMATELY 80 KIAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 300 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND AND DECIDED TO GO FOR A WATER LANDING.

AT APPRXOIMATELY 150 FEET ABOVE THE WATER THE PILOT POPS OUT THE FLOATS WHICH HELPS STABILIZES THE HELICOPTER AND THE PILOT ATTEMPTS TO FLAIR THE AIRCRAFT BUT THE CENTER OF GRAVITY SHIFT IS SIGNIFICANT TO THE POINT THAT THE AIRCRAFT MADE CONTACT WITH THE WATER WITH AN APPROXIMATE ANGLE OF 27 DEGREES NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE.

THE TAIL ROTOR, TRAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX, AND EMPENNAGE SEPERATED FROM THE AIRCRAFT.

THE TAIL ROTOR AND TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX WAS RECOVED, MISSING SEVERAL BOLTS. BOTH TAIL ROTOR BLADE TIP CAPS AND BALANCE WEIGHT(S) WERE MISSING.

THE EMPENNAGE WAS RECOVERED INCLUDING THE AREA WHERE THE EMPENNAGE SEPERATED FROM THE TAIL BOOM AT THE THOMAS COUPLING THAT CONNECTS THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX TO THE TAIL BOOM.

THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX SEPERATED FROM THE EMPENNAGE, THE TAIL ROTOR GEAR BOX WAS FREE TRURNING AND THE THOMAS COUPLING ON THE DRIVE SHAFT IN THE TAIL BOOM WOULD NOT TURN BY HAND.

## 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 CEN19LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA174), Jun 17, 2019: Robinson R44 (N1241W), Key West, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: The failure of maintenance personnel to properly secure the right-side tail boom mounting bolts which resulted in the failure of the bolts and an inflight separation of the tail rotor.

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.