Each Pilot Heard A Loud "Bang"

Location: Fort Myers, FL Accident Number: ERA20LA310
Date & Time: 09/06/2020, 0900 EDT Registration: N194HC
Aircraft: Robinson R22 Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Instructional

On September 6, 2020, about 0900 eastern daylight time, a Robinson R22 Mariner helicopter, N194HC, was involved in an accident at Page Field (FMY), Fort Myers, Florida. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction were not injured. The instructional flight was conducted under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Both pilots submitted written statements, and their versions of events were consistent throughout.

The preflight and engine-start procedures were completed by the checklist with no anomalies noted. As the engine was accelerated to near its operating rpm, each pilot heard a loud "bang." The student leaned out his door and announced that "the tail was hanging off the back of the aircraft." The engine was stopped, and the event was reported to the  helicopter's owner and his mechanic.

Examination of photographs revealed damage to the tailrotor gearbox, tailrotor blades, and the tailcone's section forward of the tailrotor gearbox. These areas and components were sectioned and forwarded to the NTSB Materials Laboratory in Washington, DC for examination.

FMI: www.ntsb.gov