Robinson R22 ALPHA N121MR
21 April 2012 · Palmer, Alaska, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 21 April 2012 at about 23:00 local time, a Robinson R22 ALPHA registered N121MR, operated by Pollux Aviation Limited, was involved in an accident near Palmer, Alaska, 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 23:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Palmer, Alaska, United States
- Coordinates
- 61.6728, -149.4028
- Aircraft
- Robinson R22 ALPHA
- Registration
- N121MR
- Category
- Helicopter
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Pollux Aviation Limited
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Palmer → Palmer
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- ANC12CA032
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Probable cause
The pilot's selection of unsuitable terrain for landing, which resulted in a tailrotor strike.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot flew to a practice area and landed the helicopter on what the pilot thought was firm snow. As he landed, the helicopter suddenly broke through the surface and its tailrotor struck the snow. The pilot repositioned the helicopter and the tailrotor gearbox chip detector light illuminated. An examination showed that the tailrotor driveshaft had sheared.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Robinson R22 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 Aug 2012 | Robinson R22 BETA | Spanish Fork, Utah, United States | Utah Helicopter | Serious injuries | - |
| 11 Jul 2012 | Robinson R22 | Sao Paulo, Brazil | Master Escola de Aviacao Civil Ltda | Fatal | 2 |
| 8 Mar 2012 | Robinson R22 BETA | Randle, Washington, United States | Glacier Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 26 Sep 2012 | Robinson R22 BETA II | Anchorage, Alaska, United States | Alpine Air Alaska Inc | No injuries | - |
| 16 Jul 2012 | Robinson R22 | Bountiful, Utah, United States | Upper Limit Aviation | No injuries | - |
| 30 Nov 2012 | Robinson R22 BETA II | Apollo Beach, Florida, United States | Fly N Choppers | Fatal | 1 |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Jun 2012 | Cessna 150G | Ketchikan, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2012 | Piper PA-18-150 | Port Alsworth, Alaska, United States | Alsworth Anthony R | No injuries | - |
| 22 Apr 2012 | Cessna 150F | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 18 Apr 2012 | Aerospatiale AS350 B2 ECUREUIL | Valdez, Alaska, United States | ERA Helicopters LLC | No injuries | - |
| 18 Aug 2012 | Maule M-5-210C | Coldfoot, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 17 Aug 2012 | Cessna 170B | Fairbanks, Alaska, United States | - | No injuries | - |