Robinson R22 N9017Y

Summary

On 8 January 1983 at about 19:00 local time, a Robinson R22 registered N9017Y, operated by Kelaire, was involved in an accident near Milford, Connecticut, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

8 January 1983 at 19:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Milford, Connecticut, United States

Nearest airport

Sikorski Memorial (BDR)

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Robinson R22

Registration

N9017Y

Category

Helicopter

Engines

1

Operator

Kelaire

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Ellington → Stratford

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC83FA052

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE HELICOPTER COLLIDED WITH A TELEPHONE POLE DURING AN AUTOROTATION FORCED LANDING AFTER AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CRUISING AT 500 FEET WHEN THERE WAS AN AUDIBLE DECREASE IN MAIN ROTOR AND ENGINE RPM. THE ROTOR RPM WAS BETWEEN 80-85 PERCENT WHEN THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT TOOK CONTROL FROM THE STUDENT. DURING AN AUTOROTATIVE LANDING, THE INSTRUCTOR MANEUVERED TO AVOID WIRES WHILE LANDING ON A DOWNHILL STREET, AWAY FROM AUTOMOBILE TRAFFIC. THE AUTOROTATION WAS ALMOST COMPLETE WHEN THE ROTOR STRUCK A TELEPHONE POLE AND ROLLED THE AIRCRAFT ON ITS SIDE. THE LOW RPM WARNING HORN AND CAUTION LIGHT DID NOT WORK AS PROGRAMMED. THE BATTERY TERMINAL WERE FOUND CORRODED AND THE BATTERY VOLTAGE WAS FOUND TO BE LOW. ELECTRICAL WIRE #19 WAS FOUND DISCONNECTED FROM THE ALTERNATOR SWITCH WHERE THE WIRE HAD BEEN SOLDERED TO THE SWITCH. AN EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE SOLDER ADHESION WAS GOOD, BUT THE WIRE HAD NOT BEEN PASSED THRU THE TERMINAL POST & WRAPPED BEFORE IT WAS SOLDERED. NO OTHER PREIMPACT MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES WERE FOUND.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.