What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
1. On 06/27/96 at 1430Z time, a vibration spectrum analysis was being conducted on an experimental mini-500 helicopter aircraft (N500ZZ) located in a vacant lot in front of the building of the manufacture (revolution helicopter corporation, inc., in Excelsior springs, MO) of this amateur built kit helicopter. 2. The analysis was being conducted in order to perform dynamic rotor adjustment maintenance. Cables were attached to the aircraft's accelerometer for pick-up of vibration and the RPM vibration spectrum analysis unit held by a ground crew technician (brian thomas). The aircraft was hovering approximately five feet above the ground for this maintenance analysis operation with no departure intended. Within approximately 30 seconds of obtaining five feet above ground, the pilot felt a sudden unexpected vibration ("thud") from the helicopter and quickly lost altitude. The helicopter impacted the ground with the right landing gear skid collapsing and causing damage to the leading edges of the main rotor spars. Neither the pilot nor the ground crew were injured. 3. On examination, revolution helicopter corporation, inc., did not find any mechanical defects that would have contributed to this incident. The suspected cause is the malfunctioning (loss of power) of the bomadier Rotax 582 engine. 4. This Rotax 582 engine was sent to leading edge air foils (an approved bomadier service center) in peyton, Colorado for analysis. Revolution helicopter corporation, inc., will submit a copy of this (leading edge air foils) engine analysis report to this office. Based on the findings of the engine analysis, a malfunction or defect report (FAA form 8010-4) will be submitted, as deemed appropriate, to AFS-643. 5. This incident number CE96-IGA0090 is closed.
As the FAA filed it
1. ON 06/27/96 AT 1430Z TIME, A VIBRATION SPECTRUM ANALYSIS WAS BEING CONDUCTED ON AN EXPERIMENTAL MINI-500 HELICOPTER AIRCRAFT (N500ZZ) LOCATED IN A VACANT LOT IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING OF THE MANUFACTURE (REVOLUTION HELICOPTER CORPORATION, INC., IN EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, MO) OF THIS AMATEUR BUILT KIT HELICOPTER. 2. THE ANALYSIS WAS BEING CONDUCTED IN ORDER TO PERFORM DYNAMIC ROTOR ADJUSTMENT MAINTENANCE. CABLES WERE ATTACHED TO THE AIRCRAFT'S ACCELEROMETER FOR PICK-UP OF VIBRATION AND THE RPM VIBRATION SPECTRUM ANALYSIS UNIT HELD BY A GROUND CREW TECHNICIAN (BRIAN THOMAS). THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOVERING APPROXIMATELY FIVE FEET ABOVE THE GROUND FOR THIS MAINTENANCE ANALYSIS OPERATION WITH NO DEPARTURE INTENDED. WITHIN APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS OF OBTAINING FIVE FEET ABOVE GROUND, THE PILOT FELT A SUDDEN UNEXPECTED VIBRATION ("THUD") FROM THE HELICOPTER AND QUICKLY LOST ALTITUDE. THE HELICOPTER IMPACTED THE GROUND WITH THE RIGHT LANDING GEAR SKID COLLAPSING AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEADING EDGES OF THE MAIN ROTOR SPARS. NEITHER THE PILOT NOR THE GROUND CREW WERE INJURED. 3. ON EXAMINATION, REVOLUTION HELICOPTER CORPORATION, INC., DID NOT FIND ANY MECHANICAL DEFECTS THAT WOULD HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. THE SUSPECTED CAUSE IS THE MALFUNCTIONING (LOSS OF POWER) OF THE BOMADIER ROTAX 582 ENGINE. 4. THIS ROTAX 582 ENGINE WAS SENT TO LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS (AN APPROVED BOMADIER SERVICE CENTER) IN PEYTON, COLORADO FOR ANALYSIS. REVOLUTION HELICOPTER CORPORATION, INC., WILL SUBMIT A COPY OF THIS (LEADING EDGE AIR FOILS) ENGINE ANALYSIS REPORT TO THIS OFFICE. BASED ON THE FINDINGS OF THE ENGINE ANALYSIS, A MALFUNCTION OR DEFECT REPORT (FAA FORM 8010-4) WILL BE SUBMITTED, AS DEEMED APPROPRIATE, TO AFS-643. 5. THIS INCIDENT NUMBER CE96-IGA0090 IS CLOSED.
Other reports on N500ZZ · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.