2012 Robinson R44 Raven I accident near Boppard

Incident Overview and Flight Details On 29 July 2012, a Robinson Helicopter Company R44 Raven I helicopter was involved in an accident near Boppard, Germany. The pilot had chartered the aircraft to transport three passengers from the Egelsbach airfield to the Jakobsberg heliport and back. During the return flight, the helicopter began to rotate to the right shortly after takeoff at approximately 18:43 local time. The pilot attempted to counteract the rotation using the left pedal but was unable to stop it. After approximately three rotations at an altitude of about 7 meters, the pilot reduced power to bring the helicopter down, resulting in a hard landing. The right skid broke, and the helicopter tipped onto its side. All four occupants were able to exit the heavily damaged aircraft independently. ## Aircraft and Personnel Information The aircraft was a single-engine, light multi-purpose helicopter with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,089 kg. It was manufactured in 2005 with serial number 1419 and was powered by a Lycoming O-540-F1B5 engine. At the time of the accident, the helicopter had approximately 4,213 total operating hours. The 68-year-old pilot held a private pilot license for helicopters and had approximately 321 total flight hours, including 165 hours on the R44 type. The helicopter's center of gravity was outside the allowable range at the time of the accident. ## Investigation Findings The investigation, conducted by the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation (BFU), found that the helicopter's tail rotor control system had a separated control rod. This rod transmitted the movement of the left pedal to the tail rotor control. The break was identified as a violent fracture with distinct shear lips, occurring at the end of the threaded section near the rod head. The investigation also noted that the helicopter was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, as these were not required. The accident site was located immediately next to the marked heliport, and the helicopter was found on its right side with significant damage to the skids, tail, and rotor blades.