A bolt from a flight control system had reportedly “backed out and fallen off the connecting rod” in a Robinson R66 helicopter that crashed at Destin Executive Airport in June, according to a preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board.
- The June 12 crash occurred about 6:50 p.m. when the helicopter was conducting its fourth air tour flight of the day. The pilot and one passenger sustained minor injuries, while a second passenger was not injured, according to the report.
The pilot told investigators that after takeoff, about 15 feet above the ground during the transition to flight, “he heard a ‘pop,’ and the helicopter made a hard right nosedive to the ground,” according to the report. “He applied left cyclic, but nothing happened.”
The report states that the helicopter impacted the ground on its right side and shattered the windshield. The main rotor blades fractured into several pieces, and the tail rotor and tail boom broke off the helicopter and were found about 25 feet behind the main wreckage.
- “During examination of the helicopter by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a representative from the helicopter manufacturer, they found that a bolt from the cyclic servo had backed out and fallen off the connecting rod,” the report states. “The bolt was located inside the wreckage. Other bolts were found to be only hand tight.”
The helicopter, registered as N633AF, was operated as a commercial air tour flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 136.
The preliminary report notes that the information is subject to change as the investigation continues. The NTSB did not travel to the scene of the accident.
