# Accident 20240211003989A: Robinson Helicopter Company R44 II, Glacier View, AK, February 11, 2024

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 11, 2024, 11:30 local time
- Place: Glacier View, AK
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 61.6613° N, 147.5822° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.6613&lon=-147.5822&mi=10
- Aircraft: N74868, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N74868) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (registry code 7640122, https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r44-ii) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-540 series (registry code 41530, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-540-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R44 II
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,909 total
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ANC24LA013](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA013) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240211003989A

## Narrative

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

RECEIVED REPORT OF ACCIDENT IN VICINITY OF MATANUSKA GLACIER INVOLVING A ROBINSON R-44II HELICOPTER OPERATED UNDER PART 91 RULES. INTERVIEW WITH ACCIDENT PILOT IN COMMAND CONDUCTED. HE STATES THAT IN CRUISE FLIGHT HE HEARD AN EXTREMELY LOUD BANG WITH NO PRECURSOR INDICATIONS. HE BEGAN SLOWING THE AIRCRAFT FOR PRECAUTIONARY LANDING. AT APPROXIAMATELY 65 KIAS THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO YAW. HE WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE YAW WITH INPUT FROM THE TAIL ROTOR PEDALS. HE CORRECTLY DIAGNOSED A LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY. HE MAINTAINED FORWARD AIRSPEED TO CONTROL AIRCRAFT HEADING WHILE DESCENDING. PIC CONDUCTED A SUCCESSFUL AUTOROTATION TO THE GROUND ON THE MATANUSKA GLACIER. HE DESCRIBED A SHORT GROUND RUN WITH NO FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE ACCIDENT LOCATION VIA HELICOPTER EXTERNAL LOAD AND REPOSITIONED TO A MAINTENANCE LOCATION FOR EVALUATION AND REPAIR. UPON EXAMINATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DIRVE SHAFT (PN D196-1) HAD FAILED APPROXIAMATELY 18 INCHES AFT OF THE HANGER BEARING RESULTING IN THE LOSS OF TAIL ROTOR AUTHORITY. AFT SECTION OF THE SHAFT FELL ONTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE TAIL BOOM, DAMAGING THE TAIL BOOM, TAIL ROTOR PUSH/PULL TUBE AND WIRING FOR TAIL ACCESSORIES.

## 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 ANC24LA013](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC24LA013), Feb 11, 2024: Robinson Helicopter R44 II (N74868), Glacier View, AK, substantial damage. Probable cause: A sudden stoppage of the tail rotor for unknown reasons, which resulted in the tortional overload failure of the tail rotor driveshaft.

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.