Robinson R44 N132TC

Summary

On 26 May 2022 at about 17:40 local time, a Robinson R44 registered N132TC, operated by High Tide Helicopters LLC, was involved in an accident near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 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.

Date

26 May 2022 at 17:40

Classification

Accident

Location

North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Grand Strand (CRE)

Coordinates

33.8081, -78.7285

Aircraft

Robinson R44

Registration

N132TC

Category

Helicopter

Year built

2002

Engines

1

Operator

High Tide Helicopters LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Southport → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA22LA256

Nobody was injured.

The fractured attachment lug on the forward clutch shaft yoke due to fatigue failure with multiple origins.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

Seconds after liftoff to a hover, the helicopter began to “aggressively shudder.” Loud, rapid reports were heard, and the nose of the helicopter yawed to the left. The instructor assumed control of the helicopter, closed the throttle, and performed an autorotation from a hover, landing the helicopter upright on its skids; however, the airframe sustained substantial damage. The instructor completed an engine shutdown, egressed the helicopter, and noticed that the main rotor was still turning while the tail rotor remained stationary. A cursory examination of the helicopter revealed that the clutch shaft yoke fractured at one of its two bolt lugs where the yoke attached to the flex plate. All other damage depicted appeared to be impact damage from the rotating assemblies left unsecured by the fractured lug. Examination of the damaged yoke and flexplate in the NTSB materials laboratory revealed a fractured attachment lug on the forward clutch shaft yoke due to fatigue failure with multiple origins.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.