6-Nov-2013Source: Variety
The family of a passenger killed in an R44 crash during the production of the documentary “DeepSea Challenge” has filed a wrongful death suit against James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment as well as Robinson and others. See full story More information on the safety page for this accident – 04-Feb-12 VH-COK Robinson R44 Jaspers Brush, Australia (2F)... Read more
6-Nov-2013Source: Bell
Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE: TXT) announced that its Aeronautical Accessories brand is now providing FAA approved Carbide Skid Shoes for the Robinson R66. Carbide skid shoes are produced using a patented process to rework standard skid shoes into long lasting, durable shoes made with carbide steel. Through a unique process involving carbide... Read more
6-Nov-2013
Roll-over close to helipad. All four got out OK. No fire.... Read more
5-Nov-2013
Passenger opened door and jumped out over the ocean near Balboa Pier. Rescuers performed CPR on the beach but he was pronounced dead at hospital. The pilot’s father described in an interview how his son tried in vain to stop the other passenger jumping out. A suicide note was found later, and the deceased’s relatives... Read more
4-Nov-2013
Bird struck tail rotor on approach. Landed OK... Read more
31-Oct-2013Source: Dart Aerospace
DART Aerospace is pleased to launch bearpaws, cargo mirror and floor protectors for the Robinson R66.DART is expecting to receive Transport Canada certification approval for these new products by December 2013. FAA/EASA certification approvals are expected to follow in early 2014. These new products will be offered in addition to our growing line of Robinson... Read more
29-Oct-2013
Helicopter ended up on its port side, with tail boom in multiple pieces. Sole occupant pilot injured... Read more
26-Oct-2013
Following a decrease in engine power, the pilot entered an autorotation. Upon landing at a solar power plant, the helicopter struck a photovoltaic panel and rolled onto its side. Probable write-off... Read more
17-Oct-2013
Hard landing and rollover onto port side. 2 POB injured. Helicopter was making a precautionary landing at 9.30pm in a pasture due to reducing visibility.... Read more
6-Oct-2013
Training accident, ended up on its side. Instructor and student not injured... Read more
3-Oct-2013Source: HeliHub.com
The HeliHub.com team have been contacting a number of people who attended Helitech International last week – both while we were on the show floor and remotely by phone and email over the week since the event. The question we were asking was “Is Helitech a better show in a city centre location compared to... Read more
2-Oct-2013Source: WBTW
Huffman Helicopters gets their lease renewed despite noise concerns at the location of their heliport in Myrtle Beach see full story... Read more
2-Oct-2013Source: HeliHub.com
The rush of R66 orders from Canada and Russia following the relatively recent type certification in those two countries is all but over. At the end of October 2013, Robinson will reduce the production rate of their five-seat turbine from 12 to 8 per month – although we expect it will rise at some point... Read more
2-Oct-2013
Training flight, skid clipped ground during hovering practice and helicopter rolled onto its starboard side with fuel leaking from it (photo). Neither student Charles Fink or instructor Raymond Daniel were injured... Read more
30-Sep-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Swiss operator Bonsai Helicopter has been renamed Helialpin. As we write this article, their old website URL remains active at www.bonsaiheli.ch and their new www.helialpin.ch is not yet ready – although the active site does refer to the new URL. Helialpin operates the following fleet – Robinson R22 Beta – HB-XTQ – Robinson R22 Beta... Read more
29-Sep-2013Source: Guidance Aviation
A helicopter pilot school scholarship has been established by Guidance Aviation in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with a $14,000 donation to the Baton Rouge Collegehelicopter pilot school scholarship Baton Rouge Community College Foundation. The helicopter pilot scholarship is designed to help students determine if they are on the right career path prior to committing to the... Read more
29-Sep-2013Source: TSB Canada
A helicopter pilot who took off more than an hour after sunset likely crashed after becoming spatially disoriented, according to an investigation report (A11Q0168) released today by the Transportation Safety Board (TSB). The accident, which occurred on 27 August 2011, killed the pilot and the three other occupants shortly after takeoff. All had been flying in... Read more
25-Sep-2013
Helicopter contacted a mound of earth on landing, causing it to end up on its side. Some reports suggest the wind was gusty and may have been contributory. Two of the four POB injured and airlifted to hospital... Read more
23-Sep-2013Source: Rotorcorp
Dart Aerospace moved once step closer to final FAA approval for the company’s emergency float system for the Robinson R66 Helicopter. Testing was performed today in the hangar at Orbic Helicopters in Camarillo, California where the pop-out floats were installed and deployed. Drop testing was completed earlier this summer and final flight tests are expected to be... Read more
23-Sep-2013Source: HeliHub.com
The following is a list of the helicopters being displayed at Helitech 2013 in London – split into those displayed by the manufacturers (often with their UK dealers), other helicopters displayed, and finally those helicopters visiting the exhibition each day. We aim to maintain/update this list through the week of the event. Hyperlinked registrations take... Read more
21-Sep-2013
Heavy landing, Skid collapsed... Read more
19-Sep-2013Source: Aviamarket
On Saturday 14th September, after 39448 km, 43 days and total 220 hours of the flight time, two Robinson R66s arrived back in Moscow after completing a trip round the world. Here is the electronic translation of the story from Aviamarket, Robinson dealers in Russia. During the 43 days of the pilots flying club on... Read more
16-Sep-2013
Pilot allowed rotor speed to decay too low on final approach – hit ground hard and rolled onto its starboard side... Read more
14-Sep-2013
The R66 is being paid for entirely out of federal asset forfeiture funds, so the Council’s decision was more around the ongoing maintenance costs. See full story... Read more
13-Sep-2013
Daniel James Parker, 22, of Ranfurly, pleaded guilty on five charges including flying without a commercial operator’s licence See full story [file photo]... Read more
13-Sep-2013
Crashed and consumed by fire, killing all three on board. One was named as Krzysztof Mielewczyk, husband of a member of the Polish Parliament... Read more
13-Sep-2013
An instructor and his trainee student have survived a helicopter crash in a paddock with only minor injuries. R22 ended up on its starboard side. Student reportedly moved the engine mixture control instead of the carburettor heat control,... Read more
2-Sep-2013Source: Heli Air
Heli Air, the UK’s largest onshore helicopter operator, is delighted to announce that following the recent acquisition of Scotia Helicopters, it has now launched Heli Air Scotland, based at Cumbernauld Airport midway between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Heli Air now has nine bases across the UK, including the recently opened operation at City Airport & Heliport,... Read more
1-Sep-2013
Taking off after refuelling, banked hard and crashed into the ground. The pilot, 34-year-old Shane Templeton, was ejected from the aircraft and sustained serious head injuries.... Read more
31-Aug-2013
Hit powerlines and crashed, killing all three on board. The victims were identified as William Brownfield, 61, of Caballo, Duane Zietlow, 78, of Elephant Butte and the pilot, Ebenezer Priebe, 34, of Tucson, Ariz. [and before anyone asks, “Truth or Consequences” is indeed a town name]... Read more
26-Aug-2013
Ditched into lake on water sampling operations. Registration not fully confirmed, but believed correct. Floats deployed, but helicopter turned over, so all you could see afterwards were the floats which suspended the helicopter... Read more
26-Aug-2013
Descended into powerlines in high density altitude with 4 POB... Read more
21-Aug-2013
A Virginia woman sued over a helicopter crash last month in northeastern Pennsylvania that killed her young son and four others, saying a charter company “negligently and recklessly” allowed a pilot to fly when he was not fully trained. see full story HeliHub accident page – see 27-Jul-13 N646AG Robinson R66 Tunkhannock, US-Pennsylvania (5F) Premilinary NTSB... Read more
20-Aug-2013Source: Star Helicopters
Star Helicopters, a popular Southern California helicopter tour company, is once again the proud official tour operator of the Wings Wheel Rotor & Expo show. This year’s event will take place on Sunday, October 27 at the Los Alamitos Army Airfield, joint Forces Training Base. A portion of the proceeds from helicopter tours during the show... Read more
18-Aug-2013
Engine failure, autorotation, rolled over on landing... Read more
14-Aug-2013
Two injured in heavy landing in cemetary. Tail boom sliced by main blades, two occupants injured and to hospital... Read more
13-Aug-2013Source: Bristow Academy
Bristow Academy Inc., a division of Bristow Group Inc., today announced that its first four R44 Raven 1 training helicopters with the Garmin 500H electronic flight display have been introduced into service. Bristow Academy trainees flying this R44 aircraft will be using dual 6.5-inch LCDs, mounted side-by-side in the bezel, with both Primary Flight Display... Read more
6-Aug-2013
There were two people aboard – a pilot, Artur Assadulin, and a passenger, Vasyl Zazulchak, a citizen of Ukraine. Under conditions of poor visibility, the helicopter crashed into a hill.... Read more
5-Aug-2013Source: Guidance Aviation
Guidance Aviation, a leading collegiate helicopter flight training organization with schools in Prescott, Arizona and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has added a Robinson R66 turbine helicopter to its fleet. “The R66 is powered by a Rolls Royce RR300 and will cruise at 125 kts. With significantly improved performance at high altitude, the R66 fits nicely into... Read more
5-Aug-2013Source: HeliHub.com
A pair of Robinson R66s, each with two crew, have set off from Russia on a round-the-world tour from Bunkovo Heliport 40 miles north west of Moscow. For 45 days, the crews will see virtually all climatic zones and most inaccessible corners of the planet. Plans to fly over the Norwegian fjords, across the Atlantic,... Read more
5-Aug-2013
Helicopter ditched in shallow water. 3 POB exited safely. En route from Elba to Bologna. Italian pilot age 44, passengers were on Turkish and Portuguese passports.... Read more
1-Aug-2013
Precautionary landing on landfill site – reportedly weather related. No damage... Read more
29-Jul-2013Source: Donaldson
Donaldson Aerospace & Defense, a division of Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE: DCI), is offering new, high-performance, reusable engine air filters for Robinson Helicopter Company’s popular R22 and R44 models. Available now through Robinson’s parts network, the new filters draw on Donaldson’s advanced aerospace filtration expertise to protect Lycoming carbureted and fuel-injected engines powering the R22... Read more
29-Jul-2013
Crashed on training flight, killing a 37-year-old male pilot surnamed Pan and a 25-year-old female trainee pilot surnamed Xi, according to a police update.... Read more
28-Jul-2013
Agricultural ops. Company owner Dwayne Deakins refers to pilot as “Dale” in this video... Read more
28-Jul-2013
Main rotor struck tail boom during tailwind landing... Read more
27-Jul-2013
En route from Lehighton PA to Endecott NY with five aboard was en route when it disappeared from radar during conditions of severe thunderstorms and heavy fog. The last communication to ATC was a report around 10 pm Saturday that he was “losing altitude and would try to return to a nearby airfield.”. Wreckage was... Read more
27-Jul-2013
Pilot Todd Hanawalt and two passengers were surveying power lines for a company on Saturday afternoon when the helicopter crashed. killing Hanawalt... Read more
23-Jul-2013Source: Rotorcorp
On July 3, 2013, Robinson Helicopter Company issued two Service Letters detailing the replacement of current disposable paper element radial air filters with a cleanable air filter for R22 and R44 helicopters. According to the Service Letters, disposable A771-1 (R22) and C771-1 (R44) engine air filters have been superseded by reusable B771-1 and B771-2 filters which... Read more
17-Jul-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Bristow Academy have announced on their Facebook page that their fourth glass cockpit instrument trainer has arrived at their base at Titusville in Florida. The panel includes a full Garmin G500H fit. The ramp photo here is of their third R44 IR trainer N448BA as the photo of the fourth one – N449BA – is... Read more
17-Jul-2013Source: Rebtech
Texas-based night vision technology lighting leader, REBTECH, has recently completed a contract to modify four Robinson R44 helicopters for the Estonian Air Force. The installation included the modification of all aircraft lighting, which is based on REBTECH’s NVG Supplemental Type Certificated (STC), and was provided by REBTECH technicians on location at the Estonian Air Force... Read more
16-Jul-2013Source: Nordic Rotors
Heliholding AB of Östersund announces that it has acquired the helicopter company Copterflyg AB of Kilafors. The investment has been made in order to strengthen Heliholding’s presence in the European helicopter market and to add valuable elements to the Heliholding group. Heliholding has a profound experience in the helicopter industry. It owns the sales company Storm Heliworks... Read more
15-Jul-2013
During a scenic flight, the pilot heard a loud bang followed by a yaw to the right. The pilot conducted a forced landing into trees. The pilot and two passengers escaped injury, however the helicopter was substantially damaged.... Read more
11-Jul-2013Source: Baum Hedlund
The families of two men killed in the first Robinson R66 helicopter to ever crash have filed a wrongful death lawsuit (case number BC514477) in Los Angeles Superior Court through their attorneys, Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman. The lawsuit alleges that shortly after takeoff the R66 experienced a mechanical malfunction and uncontrollable loss of power during normal... Read more
8-Jul-2013
28 year old instructor and 24 year old student – both seriously injured. Crashed onto rocky mountain side and rolled some way down a slope.... Read more
6-Jul-2013
Uncontrolled sideways movement on training flight and fell onto its side... Read more
5-Jul-2013Source: Aerial Recon
On 12 June 2013 Aerial Recon took delivery of the first Canadian-registered R66 Turbine helicopters at Robinson’s factory in Torrance, Calif., and then flew the four aircraft to Aerial Recon’s home base in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The four helicopters will be used for private and commercial operations. After a lengthy process, Transport Canada Civil Aviation... Read more
4-Jul-2013
Crashed into trees and ended up on its side. Pilot Alexandre Dionísio de Oliveira and passengers Marksuel Carlos de Moura Reis e Marcelo Pedreira Pinheiro had minor injuries while third passenger Danilo Pereira de Abreu needed hospital treatment. Video from inside the helicopter can be seen here (description there says “The pilot did a bad approach and tried... Read more
3-Jul-2013Source: Phoenix Helicopters
The formula one championship came to Silverstone last weekend to a sell out British crowd. The Silverstone grand prix is one of the most popular rounds on the F1 calendar and is famous for its helicopter activity. Phoenix Helicopters have always had a busy weekend when the British GP comes around but this year was... Read more
2-Jul-2013Source: Sloane Helicopters
Established in Mallorca since 1995, Sloane Helicopters has made an exciting decision to base a four-seater Robinson R44 aircraft in Ibiza for various dates throughout summer 2013. Flying in and out of Ibiza Airport, the Company will offer heli-sightseeing trips and a platform for aerial photography. Chief Pilot, Jonny Greenall, says, “We’ve enjoyed a fabulous 18 years... Read more
28-Jun-2013
“crashed under unknown circumstances” says the FAA. Pilot was solo student... Read more
27-Jun-2013Source: Sloane Helicopters
As many of you will now know, Robinson Helicopter Company successfully demonstrated the ELOS (Equivalent Level Of Safety) to the FAA resulting in the helicopter receiving certification in Russia and Canada. EASA have since deemed the Equivalent Safety Finding as “important” and, as such, have made it subject to public consultation. Sloane responded with its... Read more
27-Jun-2013Source: Precision Aviation Services
Peachtree City, GA based Precision Aviation Services (PAS), a Precision Aviation Group Company (PAG) has announced that it has been named a Robinson Helicopter Dealer and Service Center. PAS, formerly Gardner Aviation Services (GAS) is actively selling R22, R44 and R66 model Robinson Helicopters through its facility located at Falcon Field at the Atlanta Regional... Read more
24-Jun-2013Source: HeliHub.com
Heli Air are moving into Scotland with the purchase of Scotia Helicopters at Cumbernauld under the title “Heli Air Scotland”. Heli Air have been working with Scotia owner John Pearson for two years to reach agreement according to an article in The Herald which says that they were advised by Kytra Consulting. Headlining the new business as... Read more
24-Jun-2013Source: Flightglobal
Flightglobal says Enstrom has a new two-seat offering under development, and is also looking to produce a new light turbine helicopter to rival Bell’s new proposal plus the Eurocopter EC120 Colibri and Robinson R66. see full story... Read more
23-Jun-2013Source: HeliHub.com
On 4th June, a Robinson R22 operated by Canadian Helicopters was on a local fight in Quebec when it suffered a near-miss with two Canadian Armed Forces F-18s; The Robinson was on a VFR flight and an approximately southern track, when the two jets were turning onto a southerly heading. Press reports suggest that after... Read more
23-Jun-2013Source: Helicentre Aviation
Helicentre Aviation is delighted to announce the winners of the 2013 Professional Helicopter Pilot Scholarships following a selection process involving several weeks of interviews and presentations in front of a scholarship committee. The Commercial Pilot Scholarship has been awarded to Pierre Neyses from Germany, and the Flight Instructor Scholarship to Morgan Whiting from Leicestershire. “The... Read more
23-Jun-2013
The helicopter’s tail rotor struck terrain/snow during a stock mustering operation. The pilot was unable to control the helicopter and while attempting to land the helicopter rolled over.... Read more
19-Jun-2013
A police superintendent, a police pilot and another police officer survived a helicopter crash landing atop a rem ote mountain... Read more
18-Jun-2013Source: Dart Aerospace
DART Aerospace now offers a complete field maintenance kit carefully designed for the R66 aircraft. The kit that is packaged in a sturdy Pelican case features every tool you will need to perform routine field maintenance on the R66. Every tool is encapsulated in a foam liner to ensure proper order of tools and safe... Read more
17-Jun-2013
Bird strike, windshield damaged, landed OK... Read more