Accident Details
On June 10, 2021, at about 1515 central daylight time, a Robinson R44 II helicopter, registration N202SM, sustained substantial damage during an accident near Reserve, Louisiana. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The helicopter was operated as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
The pilot reported that after refueling, he performed a normal start. After all gauges reached normal operating temperatures, he conducted a magneto check and brought the helicopter to a hover. He then hover-taxied to runway 35 with the intention of performing takeoffs and landings. Upon entering runway 35, the pilot increased power and applied forward cyclic. When the helicopter reached an altitude of about 10 feet above the runway and a forward airspeed of about 20 knots, he heard a sputtering sound from the engine with an associated loss of power. The pilot described the sound as similar to when the mixture is leaned to idle cut-off and the engine starts to shut down. The helicopter yawed briefly to the left and touched down hard onto the runway surface. The right landing skid collapsed, and the helicopter slid off the runway onto the grass. The lower fuselage structure was substantially damaged.
Post-Accident Examination
The helicopter's most recent inspection was an annual inspection completed on November 20, 2020. During that inspection, the electric fuel pump was replaced with a serviceable pump, and the engine air intake hose was replaced in accordance with Robinson Helicopters Service Bulletin SB-100.
A Federal Aviation Administration airworthiness inspector examined the helicopter and engine after recovery. Inspection revealed that both the main and auxiliary fuel tanks were about half full with a liquid consistent with aviation gasoline, with no signs of contamination. The gascolator was removed and found to be full of fuel, with fuel freely flowing from the inlet. The engine controls moved freely and correctly with no binding. The lower spark plugs from all six cylinders were removed and found to be unremarkable. The engine was rotated by hand with no signs of binding or mechanical noises, and thumb compression was attained on all six cylinders. All rocker arms moved appropriately with oil flowing through them while the valve covers were removed. The spin-on engine oil filter was removed, cut open for examination, and found to be unremarkable. No obstruction in the engine air intake was observed.