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Atlas / NTSB / MIA82FA115

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event MIA82FA115

1982-05-01 FT. PIERCE, Florida, United States Airport · FPR None 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Registry · N90249

FAA Aircraft Registry record.

Make / Model

ROBINSON HELICOPTER R22

TCDS

H10WE · ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO

Engine

LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)

Seats / Engines

2 seats · 1 engine

Last airworthiness date

19800613

ADS-B equipped

Yes — Mode-S AC79A0

Registrant of record

HELICOPTERACADEMY.COM LLC

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

THE STUDENT PILOT WAS PERFORMING AUTOROTATIONS WITH 180 DEGREE TURNS TERMINATING WITH POWER RECOVERIES. AT ABOUT 200 FEET, AFTER COMPLETION OF THE TURN, THE INSTRUCTOR HEARD A RATTLING NOISE FOLLOWED BY A MEDIUM FREQUENCY VIBRATION. THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS AND COMPLETED THE LANDING BUT THE HELICOPTER ROLLED ONTO THE LEFT SIDE WHEN POWER WAS APPLIED TO CUSHION THE TOUCHDOWN. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVESHAFT SEPARATED AT THE FORWARD FLEX COUPLING ATTACHMENT. AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT THE MANUFACTURER SENT MESSAGES TO ALL KNOWN OPERATORS OF THE AIRCRAFT CALLING FOR REINSPECTION OF THE LONG TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT BEFORE FURTHER FLIGHT. IN ADDITION, THE FACTORY WAS REPORTED TO BE INVOLVED IN A PROGRAM TO MAKE MODIFICATIONS THAT WOULD PERMANENTLY CORRECT THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH FAILURES OF THE LONG TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFTS. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1982_MIA82FA115.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.