What happened
On June 12, 2025, at approximately 1850 EDT, a Robinson R66 helicopter, registration N633AF, was conducting a Part 136 air tour flight near Valparaiso, Florida. This was the fourth air tour flight of the day for the pilot.
During the transition to flight, at an altitude of approximately 15 feet, the pilot reported hearing a "pop," followed by a sudden, hard right nosedive toward the ground. The pilot attempted to apply left cyclic input, but the controls failed to respond. The helicopter struck the ground on its right side, resulting in the shattering of the windshield and the fracturing of the main rotor blades into multiple pieces. The tail boom and tail rotor separated from the aircraft and were found approximately 25 feet behind the main wreckage.
The accident resulted in 2 minor injuries; the third occupant was not injured.
The investigation
An inspection conducted by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector and a manufacturer representative revealed that a bolt from the cyclic servo had backed out and detached from the connecting rod. This bolt was recovered from within the wreckage. Additionally, investigators found that other bolts on the aircraft were only hand tight.