ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 150097
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| Date: | Saturday 31 January 2009 |
| Time: | 11:08 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta II |
| Owner/operator: | Orbic Helicopters Sales & Service at Camarillo LLC |
| Registration: | N4160A |
| MSN: | 4297 |
| Year of manufacture: | 2008 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 852 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-360-J2A |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Fillmore, CA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Camarillo Airport, CA (CMA/KCMA) |
| Camarillo Airport, CA (CMA/KCMA) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
On January 31, 2009, at 11:08 PST (Pacific Standard Time), a Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Beta II, N4160A, impacted terrain following an in-flight breakup near Fillmore, California (at approximate co ordinates 34'398" N, 118'778" W. Orbic Helicopters Sales & Service at Camarillo LLC was operating the helicopter under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 91. The certificated private pilot (a 47-year-old Japanese national) was killed; the helicopter was substantially damaged by impact forces. The local personal flight departed Camarillo, California, about 10:30 PST. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Witnesses near the accident site reported that they did not hear anything unusual prior to the sound of the crash. The operator stated that the pilot had rented the helicopter for a personal proficiency flight, and believed him to be going to the local practice area.
The accident debris field was along a magnetic heading of 090 degrees and extended approximately 900 feet.
Documentation of the wreckage distribution by the Robinson Helicopter participant noted that the helicopter sustained severe damage because of impacting the ground, and other damage consistent with the main rotor blade contacting the tail cone while in flight. The helicopter impacted the ground with the right side low, and no, or very little, forward speed. Pieces of tailcone, tail rotor flight controls, and tail rotor driveshaft were located about 900 feet west of the main wreckage.
There were four disconnects in the main rotor flight controls; one at the aft end of the A121-1 P/P tube, one at the A205-1 fork attachment to the collective stick, and one on each pitch change link. There were also four disconnects in the tail rotor flight controls; one at the forward end of the A121-11 P/P tube, one at the aft end of the A121-15 Push/Pull tube, and two in the A121-17 P/P tube. The edges of all of the disconnects were angular and jagged.
The first bay of the tailcone (TC) remained attached to the upper frame and was bent up and to the right. The second bay and the forward end of the third bay were disconnected from the first bay. The second bay had a crease in the lower left side running approximately 90 degrees to TC centerline (C/L). There were black scuff marks and a crease across bay two and three, on the left side, running approximately 60 degrees to TC C/L. The aft end of bay three and bay four had a crease on their lower left side running approximately 45 degrees to TC C/L, and those two bays were disconnected from each other. Bay four was torn into many pieces, and most of those pieces had black scuff marks and/or creases. Bay five remained attached to the empennage and sustained very minor damage.
Main rotor blade, S/N 7029, came to rest with its leading edge up and laying across the cabin. It was bent 70 degrees; tip up, 27 inches outboard of the pitch change boot. Approximately 36 inches of upper and lower skin was disconnected from the spar at mid span coinciding with the forward bending of the spar. The trailing edge sustained impact damage. The spar was bowed up at the tip. There were several chord wise creases on both the upper and lower skins. The outboard end of the leading edge had red scuff marks, which appeared to match the red “Danger” decal on the tail cone. There were deep chord wise scrape marks near the trailing edge of the lower skin. The paint finish was eroded beyond the bond line at the tip of the lower surface. There was a puncture in the upper skin near the trim tab.
Main rotor blade S/N 7035 came to rest perpendicular to the airframe with the upper surface facing up. It was bent 70 degrees, tip up, 28 inches outboard of the pitch change boot, bowed down over the next 2 feet and bowed up from mid span out to the tip. The outboard end of the upper skin had red scuff marks which appeared to match the red “Danger” decal on the tail cone. There were several creases running chord wise on both the upper and lower skins. The paint finish was eroded beyond the bond line at the tip of the lower surface. There was a puncture in the upper skin near the trim tab.
Probable Cause: An in-flight break-up while maneuvering as a result of the main rotor blades diverging from the normal plane of rotation and severing the tail boom. The underlying reason for the main rotor divergence could not be determined.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB
2. FAA register: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=4160A
3. http://helihub.com/2009/01/31/31-jan-09-n4160a-robinson-r22-fillmore-us-california/
4. http://planecrashmap.com/plane/ca/N4160A/
5. http://archive.vcstar.com/news/pilot-who-died-in-helicopter-crash-near-santa-paula-airport-identified-ep-459686331-351351141.html/
Location
Images:
Photo(c): NTSB
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 12-Oct-2012 07:44 | dahat001 | Added |
| 01-Oct-2016 16:34 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 21-Dec-2016 19:28 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Damage, Category, Investigating agency] |
| 01-Dec-2017 11:39 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 27-Sep-2018 22:04 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Other fatalities, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 25-Feb-2022 23:49 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Photo] |
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