ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 30054
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| Date: | Friday 18 August 2000 |
| Time: | 17:55 |
| Type: |  Robinson R22 Beta |
| Owner/operator: | Kent K. Reinhard |
| Registration: | N8313Z |
| MSN: | 2456 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1994 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 2100 hours |
| Engine model: | Lycoming O-320-B2C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | 2 miles S of Watsonville Municipal Airport, Watsonville, California -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Watsonville, CA (WVI) |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The flight instructor was cruising or maneuvering the helicopter during an introductory flight with a new student. Witnesses in the area reported observing the helicopter in what appeared to be normal flight, heard a loud bang, and then saw the helicopter abruptly pitch nose down while the main rotor blades separated from the helicopter. One of the witnesses observed the helicopter turn and climb moments before the accident sequence initiated; two of the witnesses reported that just prior to the accident the helicopter was flying in level cruise flight. At the time of the accident, the sky was clear, the visibility was at least 10 miles, a light breeze existed, and no other aircraft were flying in the immediate area. The on-scene examination of the accident site revealed Plexiglas fragments and left door components about 400 feet from where the main wreckage fell into an open dirt field. Additional items, including sunglasses, a left skid tube-mounted component and the main rotor blade assembly, were found 140 to 330 feet from the main wreckage. An examination of the rotor hub revealed the teetering stops were cracked and both of the rotor blade spindles had broken their respective (droop stop) tusks. The physical evidence indicates the main rotor diverged from its normal plane of rotation, resulting in mast bumping, main rotor blade contact with the fuselage, and separation of the main rotor assembly. No evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunction was found with the helicopter. The initiating event that produced the main rotor divergence could not be determined.
Probable Cause: The divergence of the main rotor from its normal plane of rotation for an undetermined reason, which resulted in mast bumping and rotor contact with the fuselage.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB: https://www.ntsb.gov/_layouts/ntsb.aviation/brief.aspx?ev_id=20001212X21753&key=1
FAA register: 2. FAA: http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=8313Z
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Sep-2008 01:00 | ASN archive | Added |
| 20-Dec-2011 17:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
| 24-Sep-2016 22:36 | Dr.John Smith | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 12-Dec-2017 19:52 | ASN Update Bot | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
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