N789MR

HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 12, 2016, about 1530 central daylight time, a Robinson Helicopter Company, R44 II, Raven, helicopter, N789MR, impacted terrain during takeoff from the Classic Airstrip (23AR), near Jonesboro, Arkansas. The commercial pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The helicopter was destroyed during the impact and subsequent ground fire. The helicopter was registered to Floyd Vuncannon Aviation Inc. and was operated by the pilot as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the airport about the time of the accident, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight was originating from 23AR at the time of the accident.

A witness, who was visiting a friend at an airstrip located just west of 23AR, reported that before noon, he saw the accident pilot drinking from a red cup that smelled like alcohol. The pilot refilled the cup 2 or 3 times during the next 2 or 3 hours. During the day, he saw the pilot going between hangars. When the witness finished working on a task, he heard the pilot say that he was going to put on an airshow. The witness saw the accident pilot getting into his helicopter, which was located east of him on 23AR. The witness observed the helicopter lift off at a 45° angle backward and upward. The helicopter rose to about 125 ft and then descended out of sight behind hangars that were located between 23AR's runway and the west airstrip. The witness reported that he thought he "heard it hit" but the engine never shutdown. The helicopter began to rise upwards above the hangars and it began to spin around. It appeared that the tail rotor was not working and the skids were bent as if it had hit the ground. The helicopter continued to rise to about the same height as when it lifted off. The helicopter then descended again, impacted terrain, and burst into flames in the middle of the west airstrip. The witness stated that another witness nearby called 911 and they waited for first responders to arrive. PERSONNEL INFORMATIONThe 73-year-old pilot held a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial pilot certificate with airplane single-engine land, rotorcraft helicopter, rotorcraft gyroplane, and instrument airplane ratings. He also held a flight instructor certificate, expiring October 31, 2017, with airplane single engine, rotorcraft helicopter, and rotorcraft gyroplane ratings. He held a FAA second-class medical certificate issued on May 1, 2014, with the limitations that he "must wear corrective lenses and possess glasses for near and intermediate vision." At the time of that medical examination, he reported 6,000 hours total flight time and 110 hours in the 6 months before that examination. A review of excerpts from the pilot's logbook did not reveal an entry for a flight review. The logbook pages were not totaled, and the last entry was dated August 2, 2015. AIRCRAFT INFORMATIONN789MR, serial number 10561, was a Robinson R44 II, Raven, four-place, two-bladed, single main rotor, single-engine helicopter, with a spring and yield skid type landing gear. The primary structure of its fuselage was welded steel tubing and riveted aluminum sheet. The tailcone was a monocoque structure consisting of an aluminum skin. A Lycoming IO-540- AE1A5, serial number L-29728-48A, engine rated at 260 horsepower, powered the helicopter. However, according to the helicopter's type certificate, the engine had a 5-minute takeoff rating of 245 horsepower and a maximum continuous rating of 205 horsepower.

A review of helicopter logbook excerpts that were provided by a FAA inspector, showed that the helicopter's last annual inspection was completed on July 2, 2015. At the time of that inspection, the helicopter had accumulated a total time of 1,242.1 hours.

The helicopter manufacturer issued, R44 Service Bulletin (SB)-78B, on December 20, 2010, and issued a revised SB on September 28, 2012. The SB, in part, stated:

TO: R44 and R44 II owners, operators, and maintenance personnel

SUBJECT: Bladder Fuel Tank Retrofit

ROTORCRAFT AFFECTED: R44 helicopters S/N 0001 thru 2064, and R44 II

helicopters S/N 10001 thru 12890, unless previously accomplished.

TIME OF COMPLIANCE: As soon as practical, but no later than 30 April 2013.

BACKGROUND: This bulletin requires R44 helicopters with all-aluminum

fuel tanks to be retrofitted with bladder-type tanks. In addition to a

factory retrofit program, a field kit is now available. To improve the R44

fuel system's resistance to a post-accident fuel leak, this retrofit must

be performed as soon as possible.

The review of the helicopter logbook excerpts did not reveal an entry for the installation of the bladder fuel tanks as called for by the SB. METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATIONAt 1538, the recorded weather at the Jonesboro Municipal Airport, near Jonesboro, Arkansas, located about 5 miles west of 23AR, included wind 090° at 4 knots, visibility 10 statute miles, present weather thunderstorms in the vicinity, temperature 34° C, dew point 21° C, and altimeter 30.02 inches of mercury. AIRPORT INFORMATIONN789MR, serial number 10561, was a Robinson R44 II, Raven, four-place, two-bladed, single main rotor, single-engine helicopter, with a spring and yield skid type landing gear. The primary structure of its fuselage was welded steel tubing and riveted aluminum sheet. The tailcone was a monocoque structure consisting of an aluminum skin. A Lycoming IO-540- AE1A5, serial number L-29728-48A, engine rated at 260 horsepower, powered the helicopter. However, according to the helicopter's type certificate, the engine had a 5-minute takeoff rating of 245 horsepower and a maximum continuous rating of 205 horsepower.

A review of helicopter logbook excerpts that were provided by a FAA inspector, showed that the helicopter's last annual inspection was completed on July 2, 2015. At the time of that inspection, the helicopter had accumulated a total time of 1,242.1 hours.

The helicopter manufacturer issued, R44 Service Bulletin (SB)-78B, on December 20, 2010, and issued a revised SB on September 28, 2012. The SB, in part, stated:

TO: R44 and R44 II owners, operators, and maintenance personnel

SUBJECT: Bladder Fuel Tank Retrofit

ROTORCRAFT AFFECTED: R44 helicopters S/N 0001 thru 2064, and R44 II

helicopters S/N 10001 thru 12890, unless previously accomplished.

TIME OF COMPLIANCE: As soon as practical, but no later than 30 April 2013.

BACKGROUND: This bulletin requires R44 helicopters with all-aluminum

fuel tanks to be retrofitted with bladder-type tanks. In addition to a

factory retrofit program, a field kit is now available. To improve the R44

fuel system's resistance to a post-accident fuel leak, this retrofit must

be performed as soon as possible.

The review of the helicopter logbook excerpts did not reveal an entry for the installation of the bladder fuel tanks as called for by the SB. WRECKAGE AND IMPACT INFORMATIONThe main helicopter wreckage was located about 1,800 ft on a magnetic heading of 35° from the intersection of Highway 18 and Barnhill Road. The turf, in a circular shaped area around the helicopter was found charred. Portions or the helicopter wreckage were discolored, deformed, and consumed by fire consistent with a ground fire.

The helicopter's resting heading was about 270° magnetic. The tailcone was folded to the left and separated near its forward end. Most of the aluminum and fiberglass components of the fuselage were discolored, deformed, and consumed by fire. The separated aft section of the tailcone was located about 20 ft south of the airframe. The tail rotor gearbox remained attached to the aft bulkhead of the separated section of the tailcone. The empennage separated from the aft bulkhead and was located about 40 ft south of the airframe. The main rotor gearbox and main rotor were separated from the airframe and found about 3 ft north of the airframe. Ground scars north of the airframe were consistent with main rotor blade strikes. Main rotor blade tip pieces were recovered in and near the ground scars and yellow paint that matched the paint on the main rotor blade tips was transferred to the dirt inside the scars.

Both tail rotor blades were separated near their roots and were found east of the airframe on the other side of the hangar located between 23R and the west airstrip. A series of ground scars consistent with the shape, size, and spacing of tail rotor blade strikes were located east of the location that the tail rotor blades were found.

An on-scene examination of the wreckage revealed that all flight control rod ends remained attached to their attachment points. Sections of push pull tubes were not continuous, separated from their original location, and/or consumed by fire. All flight control discontinuities exhibited either thermal damage or separations consistent with overload. No preimpact anomalies were detected in the flight control system.

The fuel mixture control knob was found in the full rich position. The mixture control wire was found disconnected near its fuel mixture arm on the engine fuel control servo unit. The throttle linkage sustained thermal damage and its position could not be determined. The governor switch sustained thermal damage and its position could not be determined.

The right skid tube was located under the main wreckage and it sustained thermal damage. The four struts that attached the left and right skid tubes were separated from the airframe and were thermally damaged. The aft cross tube appeared to be thermally deformed. A portion of the front cross tube was consumed by fire and the remaining end was not bent near its elbow.

Observed damage to the cabin structure included deformation, discoloration, and consumption by fire. The removable cyclic and collective were recovered from under seat debris, and the removable pedals were installed. The pedals were found in a neutral position. The vertical tube of the cyclic c...