# NTSB investigations: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA: Airframe/component/system failure/malfunction

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB NYC08LA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08LA060.md): Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta · Plant City, FL · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 12, 2007 · N7188J · Substantial damage
  > A loss of rotor drive due to excessive slack and breakage of the drive belts. Contributing to the accident was the pilot departing in the helicopter after the rotor engagement time during engine start exceeded the time outlined in the pilot's operating…
- [NTSB NYC08LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08LA052.md): Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta · Gainesville, FL · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 4, 2007 · N70035 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to follow the published emergency procedure. Contributing to the accident was a malfunction of the clutch assembly.
- [NTSB LAX08IA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX08IA032.md): Robinson R22 Beta · Fresno, CA · Incident · No injuries · Incident investigation · Final report · Dec 4, 2007 · N805EH · No damage
  > Failure of the tail rotor system support bracket during landing.
- [NTSB NYC08LA043](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08LA043.md): Robinson R22 · Suffolk, VA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 24, 2007 · N442FA · Substantial damage
  > The V-drive belts' rolling off the sheaves for undetermined reasons, resulting in a loss of power to the rotor system, and the pilot's failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm during the autorotation, resulting in a hard landing.
- [NTSB LAX07LA274](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX07LA274.md): Robinson R22 Beta · El Monte, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Sep 14, 2007 · N877HF · Substantial damage
  > a failure of the main rotor drive system V-belts due to damage sustained when the alternator drive belt failed and pieces of that belt got between the main drive belts and their associated pulleys. A contributing factor was the uneven terrain encountered in…
- [NTSB LAX05LA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA122.md): Robinson R22 Beta · Prescott, AZ · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 24, 2005 · N225G · Substantial damage
  > The company mechanic's improper maintenance actions, which resulted in the total failure of the main rotor drive belt system on approach to landing. A factor was the soft terrain.
- [NTSB LAX05LA049](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX05LA049.md): Robinson R22B · Los Angeles, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 11, 2004 · N145RJ · Substantial damage
  > The activation of the low main rotor rpm warning system for undetermined reasons.
- [NTSB NYC04FA197](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC04FA197.md): Robinson R-22 · Northport, NY · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 29, 2004 · N871CL · Substantial damage
  > An improper maneuver by the flightcrew while attempting to avoid a kite, which resulted in mast bumping, the separation of the main rotor system, and a subsequent uncontrolled descent into water.
- [NTSB MIA04FA115](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA04FA115.md): Robinson R22 Beta · Miami, FL · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 2, 2004 · N2566W · Destroyed
  > The failure of company maintenance personnel to secure the push/pull tube to the left lug of the non-rotating portion of the swashplate assembly following maintenance, and the inability of the pilot to control the helicopter resulting in the in-flight…
- [NTSB CHI04LA119](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI04LA119.md): Robinson R22 Beta · Winsted, MN · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 12, 2004 · N2301F · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the main rotor drive belts for an undetermined reason, and the pilot's misjudged flare during the autorotation.
- [NTSB FTW03LA099](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW03LA099.md): Robinson R22 Beta II · Kent, TX · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Feb 18, 2003 · N54TR · Substantial damage
  > The loss of main rotor drive due to a drive belt separation resulting in a forced landing. A contributing factor was the lack of suitable terrain for the forced landing.
- [NTSB FTW02LA227](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/FTW02LA227.md): Robinson R22 Beta · Cornudas, TX · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Aug 3, 2002 · N681MP · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain rotor RPM and his improper landing flare. A contributing factor was the activation of a warning light.
- [NTSB LAX02LA213](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX02LA213.md): Robinson R22 Beta · Chatsworth, CA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 2, 2002 · N4072T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate flare resulting in rotor blade contact with the ground. Contributing factors were the high altitude and the airframe vibration for an undetermined reason.
- [NTSB LAX00LA279](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX00LA279.md): Robinson R-22 Beta · Phoenix, AZ · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 27, 2000 · N888KB · Substantial damage
  > The helicopter had a tail rotor failure. The reason for the failure is undetermined.
- [NTSB LAX95LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX95LA158.md): Robinson R-22B · Lakeport, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 11, 1995 · N4015Y · Substantial damage
  > the student's misjudged landing flare and his failure to verify the validity of the low rotor warning. Factors in the accident were the company management's continued use of the helicopter in flight training operations with a known discrepancy in the main…
- [NTSB ATL94FA179](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL94FA179.md): Robinson R-22B · Knightdale, NC · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 28, 1994 · N83112 · Destroyed
  > Divergence of the main rotor from its normal plane of rotation for an undetermined reason(s) resulting in rotor blade contact with the tailcone.
- [NTSB MIA94LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA94LA054.md): Robinson R22B · Gurabo, PR · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jan 16, 1994 · N193HC · Substantial damage
  > Complete separation of one of the two vee-belts, and complete separation of 1/2 of the remaining belt. Contributing to the accident was the dark night condition and unsuitable terrain encountered during the autorotative landing.
- [NTSB LAX93LA058](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX93LA058.md): Robinson R-22 Beta · Fresno, CA · Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Dec 3, 1992 · N80142 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate preflight. Contributing to this accident was the separation of the fuel cap, tail rotor blade balance weight, tail rotor gear box, and the vertical fin.
- [NTSB LAX90FA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/LAX90FA202.md): Robinson R22B · Payson, AZ · Accident · No injuries · Field investigation · Final report · May 26, 1990 · N528EE · Substantial damage
  > Control interference which the CFI encountered during landing flare. Contributing factors related to the student not understanding communications from the CFI, the unclear language and the operator's inadequate certification of the airman.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('7640110', '7640103')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_occurrences.parquet' o WHERE o.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND o.aircrafts_position = x.position AND o."occurrenceNumber" = 1 AND o."occurrenceCode" = 130))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb?model=7640110&occurrence=130

---
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.