Robinson R22 BETA N115DD

Summary

On 19 September 2014 at about 15:30 local time, a Robinson R22 BETA registered N115DD, operated by DED Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Cahokia, Illinois, 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.

Date

19 September 2014 at 15:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Cahokia, Illinois, United States

Nearest airport

St Louis Downtown (CPS)

Coordinates

38.5694, -90.1703

Aircraft

Robinson R22 BETA

Registration

N115DD

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2003

Engines

1

Operator

DED Aviation LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Cahokia → Cahokia

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

CEN14LA517

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s poor decision to take off with the clutch warning light illuminated, which resulted in the total failure of the fan assembly due to a lack of lubrication. Contributing to the accident was the mechanic’s failure to lubricate the lower actuator bearing at the last annual inspection.  

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that the helicopter's clutch warning light illuminated shortly after departure, which he did not think was abnormal because, when the belts heat up and re-tension, it causes the light to briefly illuminate; this was corroborated by the Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH). He continued the takeoff and then watched to see if the light would go out in 10 seconds. However, the POH stated that a pilot should never take off before the clutch warning light goes out. The light did not turn off, so he pulled the clutch circuit breaker and chose to land immediately in a parking lot. After landing, the pilot locked the controls, got out of the helicopter, and looked inside the engine compartment, but he did not see anything abnormal. The pilot said that he did not feel safe in his surroundings, so he chose to get back in the helicopter and make the short flight back to the airport. The pilot then departed and was about 500 yards from landing at the airport when the helicopter began to vibrate and make noise. The pilot initiated an autorotation, but, as he slowed and flared the helicopter, it yawed left as he pulled on the collective. The skids contacted and then dug into the soft ground, and the main rotor blades severed the tail boom. It is likely that the accident could have been prevented if the pilot had not taken off after the clutch warning light illuminated or if he had turned back and landed at the airport after the warning light did not extinguish. A postaccident examination of the helicopter's fan assembly, including the lower sheave and lower actuator bearing, revealed no evidence of lubrication and heat damage, consistent with a lack of lubrication. The helicopter had undergone an annual inspection about 9.1 hours before the accident. Although the mechanic who performed the last annual inspection made an entry in the engine logbook that he lubricated the lower actuator bearing, it is likely that he did not perform that task given the lack of lubrication on the bearing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.