Robinson R44 II N30242

Summary

On 22 March 2015 at about 18:30 local time, a Robinson R44 II registered N30242 was involved in an accident near Orlando, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and 3 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 March 2015 at 18:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Orlando, Florida, United States

Coordinates

28.5569, -81.3892

Aircraft

Robinson R44 II

Registration

N30242

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2007

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Orlando → Orlando

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA15FA164

3 people died.

An inflight loss of control due to the likely detachment of the forward left servo control tube upper rod end attachment bolt.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Approximately 5 minutes after the pilot departed he told air traffic control that he wanted to return to the airport, but did not specify a reason. The pilot was unable to make it back to the airport and collided with trees, powerlines, and a residence. Post-accident examination of the helicopter found that the lower swashplate left forward attachment ear had no rod end hardware present. A review of the helicopter's maintenance logbook revealed there were no entries regarding the repairs to the main rotor system; however, the helicopter's journey log revealed that several flight tests had been conducted due to a track and balance issue with the main rotor blades. According the mechanic who performed the most recent maintenance to the swashplate, he did utilize the manufacturer's maintenance manual; however, he did not complete the work and the chief mechanic later completed the job. The chief mechanic did not make any entries into the logbook because he "forgot." The inflight loss of control was most likely caused by the detachment of the left front push-pull tube from the lower swashplate due to the liberation of the attachment bolt. The cause of the bolt liberation could not be conclusively determined because the attachment hardware could not be recovered.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.