# NTSB ERA22LA340: Robinson Helicopter R22 Mariner, N42WC, Hollywood, FL, July 27, 2022 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 27, 2022, 13:45 local (17:45 UTC) - Place: Hollywood, FL · on airport - Coordinates: 26.001222, -80.240722 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=26.0012&lon=-80.2407&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Maneuvering](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/450) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Maneuvering-hover: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333) - Highest injury: Minor injuries - Injuries: 1 minor, 1 uninjured - Status: Completed - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 3 - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: Robinson Helicopter Company, FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 105598 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA22LA340 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/105598/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105598 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA22LA340 ## Probable cause Inadequate maintenance of the helicopter’s tail rotor blades, which resulted in a failure of the tail rotor drive system, and an inflight loss of yaw control from which the flight instructor was unable to recover. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Tail rotor: tail rotor blade](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01046410): Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor · Failure (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01046410/cases.md?model=7640115), [All aircraft, 31 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01046410/cases.md) - [Inspection: scheduled/routine inspection](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061520): Personnel issues › Task performance · Maintenance personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061520/cases.md?model=7640115), [All aircraft, 167 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02061520/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Maneuvering-hover: Flight control sys malf/fail](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333) (defining event); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md?model=7640115), [All aircraft, 410 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/333/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7640115), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The instructor reported hearing a popping and banging sound while hover-taxiing during an instructional flight followed by an uncommanded right yaw. The instructor attempted to regain control, but the helicopter collided with the ground and rolled over onto its right side. Postaccident examination of the helicopter revealed that the tail rotor gearbox had fractured and that the tail rotor assembly had separated from the helicopter. Additional examination of the tail rotor blades, which had remained attached to the tail rotor drive shaft and gearbox, revealed corrosion and interior delamination of the blades. There was also erosion present on the blade leading edges, which likely provided a path for moisture to ingress, thereby resulting in the observed corrosion as well the failure of the bonding adhesive within the blade. It is likely that this condition resulted in an imbalance of the blades that imparted a vibratory loading onto the tail rotor gearbox that ultimately resulted in its failure during the accident flight. Review of partial maintenance records provided by the operator revealed that the tail rotor blades installed on the accident helicopter were not the blades that were noted in the maintenance logbooks, and the service history of the installed blades could not be determined. ## Factual narrative On July 27, 2022, about 1345 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R22 helicopter, N42WC, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Hollywood, Florida. The flight instructor was not injured, and the student pilot received minor injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. According to the instructor, after completing an engine run-up, he “picked up” the helicopter and was air-taxiing to the practice area to conduct some hover work. Before reaching the practice area, a “popping” and “banging” sound was heard from behind the helicopter, followed by an uncommanded right yaw. The instructor attempted to regain control, but the helicopter collided with the ground and rolled over onto its right side. The instructor and student pilot exited the helicopter. Examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the tail rotor assembly was separated; both tail rotor blades remained attached and the output shaft was also attached. Both tail rotor blades were bent and were impact damaged. The tail rotor gearbox was fractured, with half of the casing missing. The main rotor blades were bent down and curled, with multiple kinks and creasing from leading edge to trailing edge. Multiple impact signatures were noted on the ground within the rotor diameter of the helicopter. Examination of the tail rotor gear box and tail rotor blades revealed corrosion within both blades. The exam revealed that erosion of the leading edge provided a path for moisture to ingress into the bond joint and deteriorate the adhesive. The owner and the mechanic stated that the helicopter’s maintenance records were previously damaged by water and had to be reconstructed digitally. The records provided appeared to show that most life-limited parts had been overflown by 374.1 hours. The pilot stated that he had noted damage on the helicopter’s tail rotor blades during a preflight inspection about two weeks before the accident and that the operator had replaced the blades. Review of the available maintenance records for the helicopter revealed that the serial numbers of the tail rotor blades installed did not match that noted in the maintenance records. The available records also did not document any replacement of the tail rotor blades. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N42WC](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N42WC), registered now, S/N 1531M, built 1990 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: ROBINSON HELICOPTER COMPANY R22 MARINER - Registry model: [Robinson Helicopter R22 MARINER](https://openairdocs.org/model/robinson-helicopter-r22-mariner) (registry code 7640115) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Helicopter - Serial number: 1531M - Year built: 1990 - Airframe hours: 6975.1 - Engines: Lycoming O-320 124 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: Annual, October 27, 2021, 391 hours before - Destination: Same as departure - Airport: HWO, North Perry - Equipment: None ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Flight instructor; age 32; injuries: none; remote, flight instructor, commercial; medical: class 1, with waivers/limitations; last flight review June 22, 2022; seat: left; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 669 total, 669 in this make and model, 579 as pilot in command, 44 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days - Student pilot; injuries: minor; seat: right; restraint: 4-point; flight hours: 0 total, 0 in this make and model ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 120° at 11 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 32 °F, dew point 32 °F - Altimeter: 30.13 inHg - Observed at: HWO - METAR: 271753Z 12011KT 10SM FEW030 FEW038 32/23 A3013 RMK AO2 SLP203 T03220233 10322 20261 5800 ## 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 20220727013169A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20220727013169A), Jul 27, 2022: Robinson Helicopter Company R22 MARINER, Pembroke Pines, FL, Destroyed. Pilot lost control of the helicopter while hovering at approximately 20 feet between runways 10L and 10R. The helicopter began to spin, struck the ground, and… ## Other investigations on N42WC (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 SEA94LA171](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA94LA171), Jul 7, 1994: Robinson R-22M (N42WC), Portland, OR, substantial damage. Probable cause: TAIL ROTOR GEARBOX FAILURE DUE TO INADEQUATE ASSEMBLY AND INSPECTION PROCEDURES BY THE MANUFACTURER. ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 4, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=105598. 5.2 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.0 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14798153&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120%20LA340_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for record - FAA inspector statement (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 137 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14798002&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MFR%20FAA%20examination%20notes%20LA340-Rel.pdf - FAA inspector's maintenance records review summary (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 189 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14826584&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Partial%20Logbooks%20N42WC_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Maintenance record excerpt (annual inspection) (item 4, PDF, 1 page, 384 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14798322&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=N42WC%20Last%20Annual_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Tail rotor blade examination report (item 5, PDF, 12 pages, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14798509&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=ERA22LA340-FINAL-Rel.pdf - Investigative photos (item 6, PDF, 2 pages, 712 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=14798332&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigative%20Photos%20LA340-Rel.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.