ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 186434
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| Date: | Friday 29 May 1992 |
| Time: | 22:57 |
| Type: |  Robinson R-22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Leach-Lewis Ltd |
| Registration: | G-HETH |
| MSN: | 1194 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1989 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Near Latimer, Buckinghamshire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Private |
| Departure airport: | Ugley Park, near Stansted, Essex |
| Yattendon, Berkshire | |
| Investigating agency: | AAIB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
Written off (destroyed) 29-5-1992 when crashed near Latimer, Buckinghamshire, whilst on a flight from its base at Ugley Park, near Stansted, Essex to a private helipad at Yattendon, Berkshire. Both persons on board (pilot and one passenger) were killed. According to the following extract from the official AAIB report into the accident:
"A/C CRASHED & BURNT OUT FOLLOWING INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO IMC WITH POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS AT LOW LEVEL. 2 FATALITIES. LAST COMMUNICATION FROM PILOT INDICATED THAT A/C WAS IN CLOUD AT 700 FEET APPROACHING BOVINGDON, HERTFORDSHIRE.
AAIB INVESTIGATION CONCLUDES THAT THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT TO HAVE BEEN LOSS OF CONTROL FOLLOWING INADVERTENT ENTRY INTO IMC WITH POOR WEATHER CONDITIONS AT LOW LEVEL. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE PILOT WAS DISTRACTED AT A CRITICAL STAGE OF FLIGHT BY AN ENGINE MALFUNCTION DUE TO EITHER CARBURETTOR ICING OR A STICKING EXHAUST VALVE OR COMBINATION OF BOTH.
INVESTIGATION REVEALED CARBURETTOR HEAT CONTROL SET AT OR VERY NEAR FULLY HOT POSITION & NUMBER 4 CYLINDER EXHAUST VALVE ROTATOR LYING FREE INSIDE ROCKER COVER. EXAMINATION OF VALVE STEM & ROCKER ARM SHOWED THAT ROTATOR HAD BEEN LIBERATED BY EXHAUST VALVE STICKING IN OPEN POSITION.
A/C HAD A RECENT HISTORY OF ENGINE MALFUNCTION & THERE IS A HIGH INCIDENT OF STICKING EXHAUST VALVES IN THE LYCOMING O-320-B2C ENGINE AS FITTED TO THIS A/C TYPE. NUMBER 4 CYLINDER IS MOST PERSISTENT PROBLEM.
AS A RESULT OF THE AAIB INVESTIGATION TWO SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS 92-92 & 92-93 MADE. SEE AAIB BULLETIN 11/92, REF : EW/C92/5/6.
CAA CLOSURE: INVESTIGATION BY CAA ESTABLISHED THAT MAJORITY OF ROBINSON R22 A/C WERE HAVING ENGINE OIL CHANGES AT 50/100 HOUR INTERVALS INSTEAD OF AT 25 HOURS AS RECOMMENDED BY ENGINE MANUFACTURER. CAA AD 003-02-93 ISSUED REQUIRING OIL CHANGES AT 25 HOUR INTERVALS, & COMPLIANCE WITH LYCOMING SERVICE BULLETINB 388B IN RESPECT OF INSPECTION OF EXHAUST VALVES & GUIDE CLEARANCE AT 300 HOUR INTERVALS. SEE FACTOR F22/93."
Damage sustained to airframe: Per the AAIB report "Aircraft destroyed". As a result, the registration G-HETH was cancelled by the CAA on 17-8-1992 as "destroyed"
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
1. AAIB: https://assets.digital.cabinet-office.gov.uk/media/542301b5e5274a1317000b53/Robinson_R22_Beta__G-HETH_11-92.pdf
2. CAA: https://siteapps.caa.co.uk/g-info/rk=HETH
3. http://www.griffin-helicopters.co.uk/accidentdetails.aspx?accidentkey=14676
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 14-Apr-2016 19:34 | Dr.John Smith | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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