Robinson Helicopter Company R22 MARINER incident near Redding, Connecticut, May 29, 2011
On May 29, 2011 at about 7:08 pm local time, a Robinson Helicopter Company R22 MARINER, registered N8313E, was involved in an incident during enroute near Redding, Connecticut. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate helicopter preflight inspection and the mechanic’s inadequate annual inspection, both of which failed to detect a worn bolt in the tail rotor teeter hinge prior to its fracture due to fatigue.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 29, 2011 · about 7:08 pm local time
- Place
- Redding, Connecticut · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Robinson Helicopter Company R22 MARINER
- Registration
- N8313E · registry record · serial 2463M
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he felt an abnormal vibration in the helicopter during cruise flight. He performed a precautionary landing to residential driveway. Postincident examination revealed that the tail rotor teeter hinge bolt had fractured completely due to fatigue and that there was no torque stripe on the bolt to help identify possible movement. The manufacturer’s preflight inspection checklist required the pilot to verify that the tail rotor teeter hinge bolt does not rotate. When asked about preflight inspections, the pilot stated that he does not always use the manufacturer's preflight checklist. Maintenance records show that the most recent annual inspection was performed about 4 weeks before the incident. According to the manufacturer's maintenance procedures, during an annual inspection, a mechanic should verify that the tail rotor teeter hinge bolt remains stationary when teetering the hub. Also, it is recommended that a mechanic applies a torque stripe to the bolt. In addition, the maintenance manual contained an unboxed warning message about the importance of the correct installation of the tail rotor to prevent a failure of the teeter hinge bolt and loss of the tail rotor.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Scheduled/routine maintenance › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Tail rotor › (general) › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,200 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2011
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 20N Kingston NY at 5:30 pm
- Destination: MVY Vineyard Haven MA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 6:53 pm from DXR, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8313E the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.