robinson helicopter company
Federal Register issue. Unlike almost any other aviation company, Robinson does not analyze the findings of crashes to determine the causes of accident. Robinson brought out a special police-oriented variant of the R44 in mid-1997. Since its incorporation in 1973, the Torrance based company has delivered thousands of R22, R44, and R66 helicopters to private pilots and commercial operators around the world. Lead photo: The wreckage of Jim Bechler's R44, which caught fire in a low-impact crash at Corona Municipal Airport in 2012 (Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times), (Fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours), At Hollister Ranch, homeowners enjoy private beaches and hefty tax breaks, too, How your neighborhood voted in the razor-thin L.A. County sheriff's race, Aging cops and firefighters miss years of work and collect twice the pay, L.A. County deputies stopped thousands of innocent Latinos, github.com/datadesk/helicopter-accident-analysis. Title 49 of the United States Code specifies the FAA's authority to issue rules on aviation safety. website: Some dubbed them "Swift Family Robinson.". The street address for Docket Operations is listed above. All of the service centers and dealers are independently owned and operated. headings within the legal text of Federal Register documents. He earned a degree in mechanical engineering and then spent 16 years working for aircraft manufacturers, including major helicopter makers Bell and Hughes. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The agency issued AD 2021-19-08 to address the unsafe condition on these products. The FAA responded by issuing Special Flight Aviation Regulation 73, which requires extra instruction about mast-bumping risks and low-G conditions, along with specific flight checks for pilots of the R22 and R44. Radio stations, which used helicopters to report on traffic conditions, were another important early market. The FAA invites you to send any written relevant data, views, or arguments about this proposal. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications It is a five-seat helicopter of similar configuration to the R44, but with the addition of a luggage compartment, wider cabin by 8in (20cm), and powered by a Rolls-Royce RR300 gas turbine engine. (1) Before further flight after the effective date of this AD and thereafter before each flight, check each blade at the leading edge for a crack. Production bonuses. Kurt Robinson dismissed such criticism and said victims lawyers often are merely seeking big payouts. It does not analyze its findings to determine accident causes. (2) Before using any approved AMOC, notify your appropriate principal inspector, or lacking a principal inspector, the manager of the local flight standards district office/certificate holding district office. Russia was another important new territory. The Robinson Helicopter Company, based at Zamperini Field in Torrance, California, is a manufacturer of civilian helicopters. To date it has delivered more than13,000 helicopters and shows no sign of stopping. This action could be performed equally well by a pilot or a mechanic. This AD applies to Robinson Helicopter Company Model R44 and R44 II helicopters, certificated in any category, with an Start Printed Page 14413 agricultural spray system installed by Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SR00286BO with spray systems serial-numbered 0045 through 0178 inclusive, installed. The CAA left the Airworthiness Directive requiring repetitive inspections in place, however. That image stuck with Robinson and drove the course of his career and life. that generated this analysis, visit github.com/datadesk/helicopter-accident-analysis. They manufacture the R22, which is a two-seater, the R44, which is a four-seater, and the R66, which is a five-seater. The company vigorously defended its record, maintaining that its aircraft are safe and reliable when flown within their operating limits. It was first flown on 31 March 1990 and received FAA certification in December 1992, with the first delivery in February 1993. Removing Airworthiness Directive AD 2021-19-08, Amendment 39-21726 ( 86 FR 49915, September 7, 2021); and. Very productive in house fabrication and istallation. A year after it was issued, four people burned to death in a low-impact crash in Washington state. He developed his fascination with helicopters at the tender age of 9 when he saw a photo in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer of Igor Sikorsky hovering his VS300 Prototype helicopter. Today, Robinson Helicopter Company are famous for producing some of the most popular helicopters ever. Frank Robinson's dream of a small, low-cost helicopter convinced him to resign from the Hughes Helicopter Company in 1973 and found the Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC). 106(g), 40113, 44701. a. documents in the last year, 669 An owner/operator (pilot) holding at least a private pilot certificate may perform this proposed check and would have to enter compliance with the applicable paragraph of this proposed AD in the helicopter maintenance records in accordance with 14 CFR 43.9(a) and 91.417(a)(2)(v). In early 1995, the NTSB asked the FAA to ground Robinson helicopters to allow for further research and testing. None were wearing fire-resistant gear. FAA-2022-0872; or in person at Docket Operations between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. https://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-robinson-helicopters. The company president, Kurt Robinson, contested his helicopters place atop The Times accident-rate ranking. The company currently has over 1,000 employees in its Torrance headquarters. 14K Followers, 100 Following, 183 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Robinson Helicopter Company (@robinsonheli) Robinson spent 16 years trying to convince his aerospace employers that such a market even existed. Unique in the multi-tiered aerospace industry, Robinson builds most of its own components. on Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Robinson produces three models the two-seat R22, the four-seat R44, both of which use Lycoming piston engines, and the five-seat R66, which uses a turbine engine. Against the advice of colleagues, Robinson struck out on his own in June 1973. Tail rotor direction of rotation on the R44 is reversed compared to the R22 for improved yaw control authority. Robinson introduced its first helicopter, the 2-place piston powered R22 in 1979. Robinson Helicopter soon opened a plant at Torrance Airport. "Frank could do it all," Kurt Robinson said . Production fell from 390 aircraft in 2000 to 328 in 2001; Robinson still out-produced Eurocopter, its closest volume rival, which saw output rise fifteen percent to 280 units. The passenger leaves behind a widow seeking justice for what was a preventable death. Robinson ' s two-seat R22 and four-seat R44 helicopters offer public and private . Robinson Helicopter Company is the leading manufacturer of light piston-engine helicopters. (3) AMOCs approved previously for AD 2021-19-08 are approved as AMOCs for the corresponding requirements in paragraph (g) of this AD. He said that some New Zealand pilots had been practicing maneuvers known as cyclic pushovers, which can cause mast-bumping and are prohibited by Robinson operator handbooks. The agency will also post a report summarizing each substantive verbal contact received about this proposed AD. Fax: Adding the following new airworthiness directive: Robinson Helicopter Company: for better understanding how a document is structured but Mail: Frank Robinson made large donations to two aviation history projects. To reduce the risk of injury in a post-crash fire, it is strongly recommended that a fire-retardant Nomex flight suit, gloves and hood or helmet be worn by all occupants, said Robinson Safety Notice 40. [20]:7, Although the data did not consider which type of fuel tanks were fitted, the report mentioned four fatal accidents to the R44 fitted with bladder-type tanks, but as far as they knew, did not involve a post-accident fire. documents in the last year, 887 Now that Robinson Helicopter had a great engine in place to use, they were able to develop their five-place turbine helicopter. Source: International Directory of Company Histories, Vol. However, he was unable to interest any of his employers in his concept for a small, low-cost consumer helicopter. The FAA reviewed Robinson Helicopter Company R22 Service Bulletin SB-119, and Robinson Helicopter Company R44 Service Bulletin SB-111, each dated February 23, 2022. Robinson was planning to establish a production line for this aircraft in Santa Maria until the city of Torrance offered the company a good rate on a lease of additional land. "He was captivated with helicopters and really wanted to develop that as a personal transport and the rest is history," said Kurt. She formerly worked as the Torrance/Carson reporter for the Daily Breeze and as a city hall reporter for the Santa Monica Daily Press. The agencys estimates, published each year by a group of professional statisticians and currently available through 2016, are based on a survey sent to operators in the field. Since 1982, 600 people have died in Robinson helicopter crashes. No doubt, Robinsons flippant record-keeping practices play a role in its ability to continue to avoid any real ramifications for its manufacturing and design practices. Full benefits for employee and offered insurance for family. In Robinsons, it has been catastrophic: Rotor systems break off or the blades cut into cockpits or tail booms, according to aviation experts and incident reports by U.S. and foreign accident investigators. Robinson founded the Robinson Helicopter company in 1973 where he defied the opinions of aviation leaders and opened a previously untapped market for private ownership through his signature R22, R44 and R66 model helicopters. Using a Rolls-Royce RR300 turboshaft engine, the R66 includes a 300-pound (136-kilogram)-capacity baggage compartment. In my near half-century of aviation experience, RHC is the only aircraft manufacturer I have found in the world that does not focus on safety, he wrote in a report filed with a lawsuit stemming from a New Jersey crash. offers a preview of documents scheduled to appear in the next day's This action may be performed by the owner/operator (pilot) holding at least a private pilot certificate and must be entered into the aircraft records showing compliance with this AD in accordance with 14 CFR43.9(a) and 14 CFR 91.417(a)(2)(v). documents in the last year, 24 To date it has delivered more than13,000 helicopters and shows no sign of stopping. His left arm was partly paralyzed and he now walks with a limp. All teetering rotor systems are susceptible to a phenomenon called mast-bumping, which occurs when the seesawing becomes so extreme that the hub or the inner ends of the rotor blades strike the mast. Worldwide, there have been 512 deaths since 1982 with a total of 291 Robinson crashes. Developed from the R22, the R44 made its debut in 1993 and is now the companys most popular model, largely because it can carry more passengers. Monday thru Friday. If your comments responsive to this NPRM contain commercial or financial information that is customarily treated as private, that you actually treat as private, and that is relevant or responsive to this NPRM, it is important that you clearly designate the submitted comments as CBI. In the United States, Robinson was behind an initiative to place lightweight helipads atop business buildings and in industrial parks. Designer Stanley Hiller had fanned the idea in the late-1940s, and some futurists' vision of the 1950s and 1960s included a helicopter in every driveway. Robinson Helicopter Company opened shop in 1973. "That's just amazing to me. include documents scheduled for later issues, at the request Deliver to Mail address above between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The ATSB recommended that the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) take further action to urge R44 owners to fit bladder-type tanks. Both models dominated the competition and became the best-selling civilian helicopters of their time. Santa Maria's purportedly cumbersome licensing process helped seal that decision. Please mark each page of your submission containing CBI as PROPIN. The FAA will treat such marked submissions as confidential under the FOIA, and they will not be placed in the public docket of this NPRM. The new rules impact is unclear. The Robinson R44 led all major models with the highest fatal accident rate from 2006 to 2016. Robinson helicopters Inc. Is a great work force. Employment would soon pass 400 workers. I thought, wait a minute, they can continue to make this same part even after they knew? Send your comments to an address listed under It was the second failure or partial failure in two months. The NTSB blamed the accident on an undetermined event and launched an extensive review of fatal Robinson crashes 31 in the R22 and three in the then-fledgling R44. The official Robinson Helicopter Company Facebook page. He really loved living here and weve been part of the community for over 40 years. The Times reviewed all investigation reports issued since the new regulation took effect and identified 10 fatal Robinson crashes in which investigators saw signs of mast-bumping. R44 Raven I. R44 Clipper I. R44 Cadet. Sixty workers were soon laid off, however, due to a sales slowdown. The diesel could provide better altitude performance, a fuel burn reduced from 16 to 12USgal (61 to 45L) per hour and better fuel availability. This means that they are not agents of Robinson Helicopter Company. The company has helped retrain Kiwi pilots, he said. Instead of sharing the report with pilots, owners or the FAA, the company argued in legal proceedings that it contained proprietary information. These markup elements allow the user to see how the document follows the This was the largest-scale grounding of any aircraft in New Zealand's history. The rotorcraft were quite popular with cattle ranchers Down Under. The FAA rejected that claim. Since the issuance of 2021-19-08, the FAA received one comment from Robinson requesting that the FAA correct an inaccurate statement in the background section of the preamble text. developer tools pages. The helicopter that crashed in Newport Beach in January, killing the pilot and two passengers, was operated by a flight school and touring company and was headed to Catalina Island. He went on to work in engineering at the Cessna Aircraft Company, McCulloch Motor Company, Kaman Aircraft, Bell Helicopter and Hughes Helicopter Company. Like other manufacturers, Robinson had an eye on the emerging Chinese market, which was expected to field 2,000 helicopters by 2010. The company was born in 1973 in the Rancho Palos Verdes home of engineer Frank Robinson, who became enamored of helicopters as a kid in Washington state. However, it was the military, beginning with the Korean War, which made the most use of helicopters. It was like a train hitting a wall, said Paddi Faubion, who saw the Jan. 30 crash from her balcony in a gated Newport Beach neighborhood. The R22 and the R44 both use Lycoming piston engines, while the R66 uses a turbine engine. ", "Nobody could show him how to do it, he just had to do it.". Some pilots or their surviving family members said they were stunned to learn after accidents of the R44s safety issues, and they questioned why regulators had not taken stronger action. The FAA proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2021-19-08, which applies to certain Robinson Helicopter Company (Robinson) Model R44 and R44 II helicopters. Acting Director, Compliance & Airworthiness Division, Aircraft Certification Service. Information may be emailed to: Robinson was already exporting half of its production in the mid-1980s. Driven by foreign sales, production was soon returning to normal. Aviation was in his blood.". documents in the last year, by the International Trade Commission 2023 Endeavor Business Media, LLC. of the issuing agency. Overtime sometimes on weekends. In the early 1970s, Robinson designed the Robinson R22 helicopter, a popular, light, two-place civilian aircraft, which later . documents in the last year, 9 Helicopter manufacturer in the United States, New Zealand Transport Accident Investigation Commission, "Robinson Helicopter celebrating 50 years", "Robinson Boosts Production as Sales Surge, Strikes Deal for 1,000 Rolls-Royce Turboshafts", "Robinson Tri-Hinge Rotor Head R22 Helicopter", "Final Report, Aviation Inquiry AO-2014-006, Robinson R44 II, ZK-HBQ, mast-bump and in-flight break-up, Kahurangi National Park, 7 October 2014", "TAIC publishes interim report on July 2018 fatal Robinson R44 helicopter accident over Lake Wanaka", "Danger spins from the sky: The Robinson R44, the world's best-selling civilian helicopter, has a long history of deadly crashes", "Robinson helicopters: mast bumping accidents in NZ", "Lawsuit Claims Robinson Defects Caused Fatal 2016 Crash in Arizona", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robinson_Helicopter_Company&oldid=1143572045, Helicopter manufacturers of the United States, Manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 March 2023, at 15:44. There are a few reasons this might happen: To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page. In 1975, Robinson had a working prototype of the first model, the R22, which had been constructed in a tin hangar at the Torrance Airport in southern California. There was a two-year investigation performed by 60 Minutes (Australia) where they uncovered that 78 people died in the past decade due to crashes from these helicopters. Register documents. Frank Robinson had begun to work on a design for a four-seat helicopter in the mid-1980s. should verify the contents of the documents against a final, official That is an average of 1.6 deadly crashes per 100,000 hours flown, a rate nearly 50% higher than that of the other dozen most common civilian models. Discovery of the incident was incorrectly described as a pilot feeling abnormal vibrations during flight. Having been produced since 1990, Robinson have produced over 6,500 R44s to date, making it the most . The factory can produce up to 1,000 helicopters per year. Robinson pilots in deadly crashes had tallied a median of 1,017 flight hours, the least of any major helicopter maker. FAA-2022-0872; Project Identifier AD-2022-00431-R. St. James Press, 2003. Based on the company's two-seat Robinson R22, the R44 features hydraulically assisted flight controls.It was first flown on 31 March 1990 and received FAA certification in December 1992, with the first delivery in February 1993.. Franklin Davis Robinson (January 14, 1930 - November 12, 2022) was an American aeronautical engineer and the founder of Robinson Helicopter Company in Torrance, California.He served as president, chief executive officer, and chairman of the company for many years. More than 600 people have perished in Robinson crashes around the world since 1982. Expert aviation consultants find this shocking, and they have been quoted saying they believe Robinson Helicopter Company engages in these shoddy record-keeping practices with the specific intent to divest itself of all records in an attempt to have plausible deniability related to responsibility.. Comply with this AD within the compliance times specified, unless already done. https://www.regulations.gov, For service information identified in this NPRM, contact Robinson Helicopter Company, 2901 Airport Drive, Torrance, CA 90505, United States; phone: (310) 539-0508; email: The company manufactures non-military helicopters used in applications such as police work, television news reporting, instrument flight training, radio traffic reporting, and emergency services. R44 Clipper II Popout. 05/01/2023, 858 Larry Wells, a pilot for the FAA, was practicing hovering, landing and liftoff maneuvers near Jackson, Miss., on Sept. 1, 2009, when his Robinson R44 began to shudder violently. With its four-seat capacity, the R44 was expected to sell well in the executive aircraft market. Include Docket No. This engine was designed in conjunction with Robinson and allowed the helicopter to perform better in hot temperatures and at high altitudes. And if we branch out from the R44 model, the statistics are even worse. Checking a blade for any crack would take about 0.25 work-hour for an estimated cost of up to $44 per helicopter (up to two affected blades per helicopter) and up to $19,008 for the U.S. fleet per check. The top sellers of Robinson Helicopter are the R44 and R66 models. Robinson was also a visionary and a veritable aviation rock star, who racked up accolades over the course of his five-decade career. corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. documents in the last year, 204 America's deadliest helicopters. There was an overall downturn in the U.S. helicopter industry due to a strong dollar, a recession, and the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. . Robinson Helicopter Company - Torrance, California is the world's leading manufacturer of civil helicopters. Neither was making the helicopter for the masses that he envisioned. That translates to 1.6 deadly accidents per 100,000 hours flown a rate nearly 50% higher than any other of the dozen most common civilian models whose flight hours are tracked by the Federal Aviation Administration. Death rate (Fatal accidents per 100,000 flight hours). documents in the last year, 931 Its nose turret could be fitted with infrared sensors or a video camera. On the R44 the advancing blade is on the bottom. In July 2006, Robinson addressed the issue not by fortifying its tanks, but by trying to fireproof pilots and passengers. In 2013, the board expressed concern that the company had never found the root cause of the problem and thus could not ensure that it would not recur. This proposed AD would also require, within three months after the effective date of AD 2021-19-08 or within six months after the effective date of this AD, as applicable, removing all affected blades from service. He handled everything as an engineering problem and something to solve.". In 1973, Frank D. Robinson, a former helicopter engineer for Cessna, McCulloch Aircraft and Bell Helicopters, resigned his position at Hughes Helicopters to pursue his dream of starting his own helicopter manufacturing company. Robinson founded the Robinson Helicopter Company out of his Palos Verdes home in 1973 and developed the first R22 prototype at the Torrance Airport. Its business model: mass-produce simple, low-cost helicopters and sell them to the civilian public at an affordable price. Robinson had 310 employees at the time. Open for Comment. The FAA estimates that this AD, if adopted as proposed, would affect 432 helicopters of U.S. registry. 07/12/2022 at 8:45 am. These include, but are in not limited to, induction into the California Aviation Hall of Fame, induction into the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, a Lifetime Aviation Engineering Award from the Living Legends of Aviation, the Daniel Guggenheim Medal from the American Helicopter Society, and the Howard Hughes Memorial Award from the Southern California Aeronautic Association. The AD docket contains this NPRM, any comments received, and other information. Both models dominated the competition . At least 65 wrongful-death and product liability lawsuits have been filed across the country since then, accusing Robinson of concealing or willfully ignoring safety issues and dodging accountability allegations the company denies. "He really did have a true love of the industry. Robinson Helicopter Company is a manufacturer of helicopters. [5], Robinson also produces the Robinson Helipad, a modular helipad designed for light helicopters.[6]. Robinson would also look close to home for key staff. Due to their unique main rotor design, during a sudden and prolonged or severe low-G condition Robinson helicopters can roll rapidly to the right and likely break up before a pilot can recover, New Zealand government accident investigators said in a 2016 report on a fatal R44 mast-bumping. Rather than modify its helicopters to reduce the risk of post-crash fires, Robinson advised pilots and passengers wear protective suits. But the following year, at age 80, Robinson did retire from the iconic helicopter company he founded in 1973, turning control over to his son, Kurt. Very productive in house fabrication and istallation. The President of the United States communicates information on holidays, commemorations, special observances, trade, and policy through Proclamations. 49 U.S.C. We see them around but we don't know what goes on behind the scenes. After completing the CAPTCHA below, you will immediately regain access to the site again. He built a prototype of the two-seat, piston-engine R22 in a hangar at nearby Torrance Airport, now home to the companys 600,000-square-foot factory. The causes of many helicopter crashes remain a mystery even after the NTSB tasked with scrutinizing every U.S. civil aviation accident finishes its job.
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