History of Flight
On April 15, 2022, about 0837 mountain standard time, a Robinson R22 helicopter, registration N7516G, sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain near Gila Bend, Arizona. The student pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The flight was conducted as a solo cross-country instructional flight under 14 CFR Part 91. It originated from Chandler Municipal Airport (CHD) at 0757 with destination Gila Bend Municipal Airport (E63). A witness about half a mile west of the accident site reported seeing the helicopter come directly down. He stated that the rotor blades were rotating before impact, but he could not hear the engine due to operating heavy equipment. The helicopter struck the ground about 212 ft from the end of the runway, then slid and came to rest approximately 181 ft from the approach end of runway 22 and 52 ft left of the centerline. Ground scars indicated an impact heading of about 180°, then sliding on a 210° heading before resting on its right side with the nose heading about 096°.
Wreckage and Impact Information
Examination revealed upward crushing on the underside of the fuselage and engine compartment. The landing gear skids were displaced in multiple pieces. All major components were accounted for at the scene. The braided shielding around the governor motor power cable had been repaired with heat shrink; the governor functioned normally on a test bench with that repair. After removing the heat shrink, the braided shield was found worn or removed in places, with a small area of bare wire visible. Engine continuity was established, and thumb compression was obtained on all cylinders. Magnetos produced spark on all leads. A borescope inspection showed normal cylinder coloration, no foreign object ingestion, and no detonation evidence. About 15 gallons of fuel were removed from the fuel bladders and found uncontaminated. The blue main rotor blade (serial 3363) was bent upward at about 99 inches span with chordwise scoring and scratching at the tip; the red main rotor blade (serial 3107) was bowed downward at about 58 inches span. The clutch assembly operated normally in both locked and freewheeled directions. Drive belts were displaced from grooves but showed no abnormal wear. The main rotor mast rotated freely. Flight control continuity was established for all controls.