Overview
On January 8, 2018, at 1345 central standard time, a Robinson R44 helicopter, registration N797JR, collided with trees and the terrain during an autorotation near Albany, Texas. The helicopter was registered to S2 Helicopter Services and operated by an individual as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and the flight was not operated on a flight plan. The local flight originated from a ranch in Albany, Texas, at 1310. The commercial pilot was not injured, and the helicopter sustained substantial damage.
Sequence of Events
The pilot reported that he was using the helicopter to round up cattle. While stabilizing in a hover about 50 feet above the ground, he heard a single loud bang and felt it in the pedals. The helicopter spun to the right, and applying full left pedal had no effect. After about two spins, the pilot entered an autorotation to remove torque from the rotor system. During the descent, the helicopter contacted trees and came to rest upright with the tail boom separated.
Damage Assessment
Post-accident examination revealed the helicopter sitting upright on its skids with the fuselage intact. The tailboom was separated just forward of the empennage. Minor crushing damage was noted on the right side of the helicopter aft of the cabin area, and crush damage was visible on the left side above the front and rear skid struts. The main rotor blades, hub, and mast were intact. One main rotor blade exhibited minor bending near the outboard section; the other blade had a hole near the tip, with the leading edge at the tip pulled away. The empennage and tail rotor were separated from the tailboom. The tail rotor drive shaft separated at the aft flex plate, with the drive shaft remaining connected to the clutch assembly. Ratchet marks were visible inside the tailboom near the aft flex plate, with corresponding damage on the flex plate and drive shaft. The trailing edge of the lower vertical stabilizer contained impact damage, pushing the skin forward. The tail rotor blade assembly remained attached to the gearbox. One tail rotor blade was bent outward 90 degrees at the root, and the other was bent about 20 degrees at the root; the blade assembly was free to turn when rotated by hand.
Pilot Comments
The pilot stated that he was unsure if there was a mechanical problem. He recommended that pilots "conduct a better clearing turn to ensure that nothing was around including animals/birds" and "maintain more forward airspeed in case of emergency."