N681MP

On August 3, 2002, approximately 1230 mountain daylight time, a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter, N681MP was substantially damaged during a hard landing near Cornudas, Texas. The helicopter was registered to and operated by Prestige Helicopters, Inc., of Chambler, Georgia. The commercial pilot, sole occupant of the helicopter, sustained minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 positioning flight. The 212 nautical mile cross-country flight originated from El Paso International Airport (ELP), near El Paso, Texas, at 1200, and was destined for Midland International Airport (MAF), near Midland, Texas.

The 3,053-hour pilot reported to the NTSB investigator-in-charge that he was ferrying the helicopter to its new owner located in Louisville, Kentucky. The pilot stated that while in cruise flight, at 1,000 feet AGL, the helicopter's clutch light flickered then went out. Approximately one minute later, the clutch light flickered again and went out. The pilot elected to land the helicopter. The pilot entered an autorotation, slowed the aircraft to 65 knots, and made a 180-degree left turn. After the helicopter stopped its turn, and as it descended to approximately 200 feet AGL, the helicopter encountered a "high sink rate." As the helicopter descended through 150 feet AGL, the pilot rolled on throttle, rejoined the needles, and increased collective pitch. The aircraft continued to descend abnormally, and the pilot stated the airspeed was 60 knots. The pilot further increased collective, and by 50 feet AGL, the helicopter began to "shudder." The pilot began to flare the aircraft, and it touched down "hard," bounced, and touched down again. The left landing skid folded out and up, and the helicopter slid approximately 30 to 40 feet before coming to rest on its right side. The pilot stated that he released his seatbelt and "crawled" out of the aircraft.

Examination of the aircraft by a FAA inspector, who responded to the accident site, revealed that the tail boom separated approximately 18 to 24 inches forward of the vertical fin.

Detailed examination of the clutch assembly, actuator assembly, and Vee belts was accomplished under the supervision of the FAA at the Robinson Helicopter Facility, Torrance, California, on September 10, 2002. They were functionally tested and operated properly, revealing no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation.