Robinson Helicopter R44 accident near Miami Beach, FL
On February 19, 2022, a Robinson Helicopter R44 (helicopter) was involved in an accident near Miami Beach, FL. 3 people were seriously injured. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- February 19, 2022
- Place
- Miami Beach, FL
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter R44 · Helicopter
- Injuries
- 0 fatal, 3 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 25.778°N, 80.127°W
- NTSB ID
- 20220222104679
Official records · ERA22LA131
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
On February 19, 2022, at 1310 eastern standard time, a Robinson Helicopter R44, N544SB, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Miami Beach, Florida. The pilot and two passengers sustained serious injuries. The helicopter was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that, about an hour before the accident, he had departed a helipad in Marathon, Florida, and was returning along the coastline to North Perry Airport (HWO), Hollywood, Florida. As he flew overwater parallel to the South Miami Beach area, he experienced a sudden and violent left to right shaking and vibration, which was followed by a loss of engine power and a low rotor rpm warning light and horn. The pilot attempted to increase engine power; but realized that the engine had lost power and initiated an autorotation. He maneuvered the helicopter toward an area of shallow water between two groups of people and the helicopter impacted water about 10 seconds after the vibration began. The pilot assisted his passengers in evacuating the helicopter, and they received additional assistance from beachgoers to reach the shore. The pilot recalled that he was flying about 420 ft to 450 ft above ground level at an airspeed about 85-95 knots when the loss of engine power occurred. Before the loss of power, the helicopter had been functioning normally without issue. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the helicopter at the accident site and recovery facility. The fuselage, tail boom, and tail rotor sustained substantial damage. On
Probable cause
A loss of engine power due to a stuck valve, which resulted in an autorotation and a hard landing in water.
More accidents in FL
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Browse: Florida · Robinson aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
