Robinson R44 N828RD

Summary

On 24 July 2017 at about 17:16 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N828RD, operated by Helicopter Solutions, Inc., was involved in an accident near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States. 3 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.

Date

24 July 2017 at 17:16

Classification

Accident

Location

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States

Coordinates

33.7206, -78.8944

Aircraft

Robinson R44

Registration

N828RD

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

Helicopter Solutions, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Other Work Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Myrtle Beach → Myrtle Beach

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA17LA257

Nobody was injured.

A loss of available power to the main rotor due to a fractured exhaust pushrod and housing, which allowed engine oil to coat the V-belts. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to continue the tour and his failure to maintain adequate rotor rpm during the landing, which resulted in a hard landing.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The commercial pilot and two passengers departed in the helicopter for a commercial air tour flight. The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff, the helicopter started shaking like a "minor kick," which he thought might be due to a stuck engine valve. He immediately radioed the operator and requested that maintenance personnel meet the flight after the tour ended. He chose to continue the tour and attempted to maintain about 70 knots with the engine operating at 25 inches manifold pressure, which resulted in a descent rate of 300 ft per minute. When the helicopter was near the helipad location, company personnel reported seeing white smoke trailing from the helicopter, and the pilot noted that the alternator light was on. When the pilot started to slow the descent, the low rotor rpm horn sounded, and the engine rpm spiked. After realizing the helicopter would not be able to reach the helipad, the pilot turned the helicopter parallel to the slope of an adjacent field and fully pulled the collective pitch to cushion the landing, but the helicopter landed hard. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 5 cylinder exhaust valve pushrod and housing were fractured, which allowed about 2.5 quarts of engine oil to drain from the engine; the oil had coated the V-belts that transmitted power from the engine to the main rotor system. The pushrod and housing likely failed due to a stuck exhaust valve that occurred at engine startup and then became unstuck once the engine was warmed up. The subsequent release of oil onto the V-belts, of which the pilot was unaware, likely resulted in the V-belts slipping and the main rotor rpm decreasing. A service bulletin recommending a procedure every 300 hours or earlier to determine exhaust valve and guide condition was last accomplished on the helicopter 298.3 hours since overhaul.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.