Robinson R22 BETA N144MB
11 March 2001 · Buffalo, Wyoming, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 11 March 2001 at about 20:20 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N144MB was involved in an accident near Buffalo, Wyoming, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 20:20
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Buffalo, Wyoming, United States
- Coordinates
- 44.3406, -106.7107
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N144MB
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Gillette → Bozeman
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- DEN01LA067
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
failure of the rotor drive system clutch assembly which rendered the aircraft uncontrollable.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
Approximately 20 minutes after takeoff on a cross-country flight, the pilot noticed the clutch light was on and he smelled burning rubber. The pilot conducted a power on autorotation and at approximately 50 feet above the ground, he heard a loud "pop" and the aircraft "dropped" to the ground, skidded about 15 feet, and rolled over on its side when a skid collapsed. Inspection revealed that the upper clutch actuator bearing had failed. All required inspections regarding the bearing assembly had been performed. Procedures used by the manufacturer require both the pilot and mechanic to listen for unusual bearing noise at specific intervals.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Mar 2001 | Robinson R22 | Alvarado, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 16 Mar 2001 | Robinson R22 | Okeechobee, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 2001 | Robinson R22 BETA | East Troy, Wisconsin, United States | WW Helicopters LLC | Minor injuries | - |
| 27 Jan 2001 | Robinson R22 | Long Beach, Mississippi, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 2 Jul 2001 | Robinson R22 BETA | Hayward, California, United States | Sierra Academy of Aeronautics, Inc. | Minor injuries | - |
| 18 May 2001 | Robinson R22 | Raymondville, Texas, United States | - | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Nov 2001 | Cessna 206 | Casper, Wyoming, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 12 Mar 2001 | Beechcraft A36 | Jackson Hole, Wyoming, United States | Joe G. Litzelfelner | Fatal | 4 |
| 2 Sep 2001 | McDonnell Douglas 369E | Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States | Omni Aviation Services | No injuries | - |
| 6 Sep 2001 | Aerospatiale AS350BA | Kemmerer, Wyoming, United States | Crew Concepts, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 2001 | Bell 205A-1 | Jackson, Wyoming, United States | U.S Forest Service | No injuries | - |
| 3 Aug 2001 | Beechcraft V-35A | Lusk, Wyoming, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |