Rotor Torque

Bogus Part Caused NZ R22 Crash

A Robinson R22 which crashed into New Zealand’s Bay of Plenty in October killing its two occupants was fitted with a ‘bogus’ tail rotor blade. The rotor blade was salvaged from an R22 which crashed in California in 1993. An unauthorised repair was carried out on the blade which separated from the helicopter in flight, causing the crash. Poor bonding when the blade was repaired caused the failure. Following the discovery the New Zealand CAA grounded that country’s fleet of 77 R22s for inspection for unauthorised parts, although at press time no further instances of bogus parts were found. Robinson issued a safety notice to R22 operators in Australia and New Zealand calling for operators to check their maintenance records to ensure that R22s are fitted only with authorised spares.

HAA AGM

The Helicopter Association of Australia held its annual general meeting and executive elections in Sydney in late November. The executive positions elections saw Gary Ticehurst and Ian Smith re-elected President and Vice President, respectively, while Rob Haylock was elected treasurer. Outgoing treasurer Terry Lee was thanked for his many years in the position and service to the HAA.

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