# NTSB CEN19LA187: Robinson R22, N26498, Danbury, TX, June 28, 2019 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: June 28, 2019, 11:32 local (16:32 UTC) - Place: Danbury, TX - Coordinates: 29.232778, -95.251945 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.2328&lon=-95.2519&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: Federal Aviation Adminsitration - NTSB case key (mKey): 99724 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN19LA187 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/99724/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99724 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA187 ## Probable cause A failed electrical relay, which provided an improper indication of a governor and clutch problem, which resulted in the pilot conducting a precautionary landing during which he failed to maintain sufficient main rotor speed. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Performance/control parameters: prop/rotor parameters](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062052): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 37 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062052/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 182 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062052/cases.md) - [Indicating/recording systems: instrument panel ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023110): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023110/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 22 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01023110/cases.md) - [Electrical power system](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400): Aircraft › Aircraft systems · Inoperative (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400/cases.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 48 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01022400/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 994 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/330/sequence.md) - [Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, 23 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=7640110), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) ## Analysis The pilot was conducting low-altitude pollination operations over a rice field when the governor caution light and the clutch caution light illuminated in succession; in response, the pilot reduced engine power. While landing in the field, the main rotor blades drooped and hit the tail cone, substantially damaging the helicopter. Postaccident inspection found that a failed electrical relay caused the governor light to illuminate, but the electrical relay by itself would not affect governor operation. No other anomalies were found with the helicopter, including the clutch system, that would have precluded normal operation. The accident sequence is consistent with the pilot responding to the governor caution light by reducing power but then letting the main rotor speed decaying too much during landing, such that the main rotor blades drooped and hit the tail cone. ## Factual narrative On June 28, 2019 at 1132 Central Daylight Time, a Robinson R-22 Beta helicopter, N26498, impacted terrainnear Danbury, Texas. The commercial pilot was not injured. The helicopter was substantially damaged. The helicopter was registered to a corporation and operated as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 pollination flight. Visual meteorological conditions were reported at the accident site and along the route of flight about the time of the accident. The pilot reported to the FAA he was conducting pollination activities when the "clutch" light illuminated and would not go out and he began to loose power, so he "set it down" in the field. He pilot told the mechanic selected to repair the helicopter that he was flying low over the agricultural field when the "GOV" (governor) caution light illuminated, followed by the "clutch light" illuminating. He felt the helicopter began to lose rotor speed and responded by rolling the engine power. He landed the helicopter vertically and did not split the skids; however, the main rotor speed decayed sufficiently enough that a main rotor blade drooped and struck the tail cone, substantially damaging the helicopter. The mechanic reported that during an examination of the helicopter the "actuator" engaged and disengaged normally, the drive belts were in good condition, and the clutch rotated normally. The governor light remained illuminated regardless of the switch position. He traced the light to a faulty electrical relay that caused the light to illuminate, and stated the faulty relay would only cause the light to come on and would not affect the governor operation. He verified the governor operated normally when electrical power was applied. No other anomalies were found with the helicopter. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N26498](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N26498), registered now, S/N 0836, built 1988 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: Robinson R22 (BETA) - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-beta) (registry code 7640110) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 0836 - Year built: 1988 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 SERIES reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Aerial application, Part 137 - Operator: Standard Aviation Svcs - Registered owner: Hartland Helicopters Llc - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 37; injuries: none; commercial; medical: class 2, with waivers/limitations; last flight review January 23, 2019; flight hours: 1,100 total, 850 in this make and model, 100 in the last 90 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20190628010739A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190628010739A), Jun 28, 2019: Robinson Helicopter R22 BETA, Danbury, TX, Substantial damage. Aircraft governor or clutch problem. Will amended this report when final investigation has determined the cause. Final investigation revealed no maintenance… ## Other investigations on N26498 (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 MIA05CA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA05CA051), Jan 18, 2005: Robinson R22 (N26498), Gulf Port, MS, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot's inadequate flare and his failure to maintain rotor rpm which resulted in a hard landing. Also causal was the instructor's inadequate supervision of the flight. ## Docket (2 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on September 9, 2019, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=99724. 113 KB in all. - Record of Conversation - Mechanic (item 1, .PDF, 31 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40475643&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Conversation%20-%20Mechanic-Master.PDF - Mechanic Report (item 2, .PDF, 82 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40475644&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Mechanic%20Report-Master.PDF 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. --- 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.