Robinson R22 BETA N74603
15 July 2010 · West Melbourne, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 15 July 2010 at about 20:00 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N74603 was involved in an accident near West Melbourne, Florida, United States. 2 people were 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 20:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- West Melbourne, Florida, United States
- Coordinates
- 28.0922, -80.7811
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 BETA
- Registration
- N74603
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Other Work Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- West Melbourne → West Melbourne
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ERA10LA361
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Probable cause
Separation of the main rotor drive belts due to maintenance personnel’s failure to adequately inspect the upper drive sheave prior to installing the belts.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
During takeoff, while the helicopter was about 80 to 100 feet above the ground, the clutch caution light illuminated. The light stayed lit only long enough for the pilot to notice it, and then it turned off. The clutch light illuminated once again, and the pilot felt the helicopter vibrate. The pilot initiated a descent and heard a loud “pop and grinding noise” from the rear of the helicopter as he lowered the collective. The pilot autorotated and impacted the ground in a nose-low attitude. A postaccident examination of the drive system found that the grooves in the upper sheave were worn beyond serviceable limits. The helicopter’s maintenance manual requires inspection of the sheaves prior to installation of the drive belts. An entry in the logbook states that the drive belts were removed and replaced 22.9 hours prior to the accident. Given the level of wear in the upper sheave grooves, it is unlikely that maintenance personnel inspected the sheave prior to drive belt installation.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Mar 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA II | Cotulla, Texas, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |
| 12 Oct 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA | Long Beach, California, United States | Temco Sky Networks | Serious injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA | Hillsboro, Oregon, United States | Hillsboro Aviation Inc | No injuries | - |
| 13 Mar 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA | Houston, Texas, United States | Rotor Envy Helicopters | No injuries | - |
| 7 May 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA | Mendon, Utah, United States | Mountain Ridge Helicopters LLC | No injuries | - |
| 19 Jun 2010 | Robinson R22 BETA | West Palm Beach, Florida, United States | Cloud 9 Helicopters LLC | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2010 | Long EZ | Leesburg, Florida, United States | Allen Dunlap | Minor injuries | - |
| 31 Aug 2010 | Aero Commander 560E | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 Oct 2010 | Mooney M20E | New Smyrna Beach, Florida, United States | - | Minor injuries | - |
| 28 Apr 2010 | Cessna 152 | Cross City, Florida, United States | Pelican FTC | No injuries | - |
| 1 May 2010 | Interstate S1A | Lakeland, Florida, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Mar 2010 | Hughes 369 | Naples, Florida, United States | Collier Mosquito Control District | No injuries | - |