RICHMOND, CA, USA
N83858
ROBINSON R22
THE STUDENT HAD RECORDED HER PRIMARY FLIGHT LESSON ON A TAPE RECORDER. AFTER REACHING THE PRACTICE AREA, THE CFI INSTRUCTED THE STUDENT TO TURN 180 DEG LEFT. THE STUDENT COMPLIED AND PERFORMED A SHALLOW BANK TURN. SECONDS LATER, WHILE CRUISING AT 2,200 FT, THE CFI BEGAN TALKING. IN MIDSENTENCE AN UNDETERMINED EVENT OCCURRED WHICH INTERRUPTED HIS SPEECH. A WIND-LIKE BACKGROUND NOISE STARTED, AND THE STUDENT EXCLAIMED 'HELP.' RADAR DATA CONFIRMED WITNESS REPORTS THAT THE TAIL BOOM AND M/R HAD SEPARATED IN LEVEL FLT. EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE INDICATED MAST BUMPING HAD OCCURRED, A M/R BLADE CRUSHED THE LEFT SIDE OF THE INBOARD TAIL CONE, AND THE ENTIRE MAST WITH ATTACHED M/R BLADES BROKE OUT OF THE TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE OUTBOARD TAIL BOOM AND ROTOR ASSEMBLY HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND. EVIDENCE OF A MAIN ROTOR BLADE DIVERGENCE WAS FOUND. SPECTRUM ANALYSIS OF THE TAPE REVEALED NO ANOMALIES UNTIL THE CFI'S VOICE WAS TERMINATED. WITHIN 2 SECONDS THE ROTOR SPEED APPEARED TO SIGNIFICANTLY OSCILLATE AND ABRUPTLY END.
A DIVERGENCE OF THE MAIN ROTOR FROM ITS NORMAL PLANE OF ROTATION FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON(S) WHICH RESULTED IN ROTOR CONTACT TO THE TAILBOOM.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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