What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Maintenance flight, repositioned to heli pad. Applied collected pitch for takeoff, rolled onto left side. (.19) on March 5, 1997, at 1215 eastern standard time, an aerospatiale AS-355F, N101UC, was substantially damaged when it rolled over after lifting to a hover at the Washington County Airport (afj), Washington, Pennsylvania. The certificated commercial pilot received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the positioning flight that was to depart afj, for the Washington county hospital helipad. No flight plan had been filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR part 91. According to the pilot, he had just completed a maintenance test flight of the helicopter with a mechanic. The test flight consisted of two takeoffs and landings in the afj traffic pattern, for the replacement of the helicopter's forward and aft hydraulic servos. At the completion of the second landing, the mechanic exited the helicopter, and the pilot was to reposition the helicopter to the hospital helipad. The pilot stated that when he raised the collective, the helicopter lifted from the ground, rolled left, and the main rotor blades struck the ground. According to witnesses, the helicopter appeared to be in a left roll when the skids departed the ground. According to a federal aviation administration (FAA) inspector, examination of the helicopter revealed that the hydraulic servos were installed correctly, and no preimpact failure of the airframe was observed. The hydraulic servos were removed for further examination. (.4) a mechanic changed one of the helicopter's lateral cyclic servos. The helicopter was test flown by the pilot with the mechanic onboard. After a successful test flight, the mechanic exited the helicopter and the pilot was to reposition the helicopter to the hospital helipad. When the pilot raised the collective, the helicopter lifted about 2 to 4 feet above the ground, and then began to roll left. The pilot attempted to correct for the left roll; however, the helicopter did not respond and the main rotor blades struck the ground. Examination of the helicopter revealed control continuity, and that the hydraulic servos were installed correctly. No preimpact failure of the airframe was observed. Examination of the servos revealed that two of the units tested to manufacturer's parameters. The master servo unit failed the bench t EST, had the appearance that it had been worked on, and did not meet manufacturer's specifications. The helicopter manufacturer stated that this would not induce a 'hard over.'
As the FAA filed it
MAINTENANCE FLIGHT, REPOSITIONED TO HELI PAD. APPLIED COLLECTED PITCH FOR TAKEOFF, ROLLED ONTO LEFT SIDE. (.19) ON MARCH 5, 1997, AT 1215 EASTERN STANDARD TIME, AN AEROSPATIALE AS-355F, N101UC, WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT ROLLED OVER AFTER LIFTING TO A HOVER AT THE WASHINGTON COUNTY AIRPORT (AFJ), WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA. THE CERTIFICATED COMMERCIAL PILOT RECEIVED MINOR INJURIES. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE POSITIONING FLIGHT THAT WAS TO DEPART AFJ, FOR THE WASHINGTON COUNTY HOSPITAL HELIPAD. NO FLIGHT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED FOR THE FLIGHT CONDUCTED UNDER 14 CFR PART 91. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, HE HAD JUST COMPLETED A MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT OF THE HELICOPTER WITH A MECHANIC. THE TEST FLIGHT CONSISTED OF TWO TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN THE AFJ TRAFFIC PATTERN, FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE HELICOPTER'S FORWARD AND AFT HYDRAULIC SERVOS. AT THE COMPLETION OF THE SECOND LANDING, THE MECHANIC EXITED THE HELICOPTER, AND THE PILOT WAS TO REPOSITION THE HELICOPTER TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD. THE PILOT STATED THAT WHEN HE RAISED THE COLLECTIVE, THE HELICOPTER LIFTED FROM THE GROUND, ROLLED LEFT, AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE HELICOPTER APPEARED TO BE IN A LEFT ROLL WHEN THE SKIDS DEPARTED THE GROUND. ACCORDING TO A FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) INSPECTOR, EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED THAT THE HYDRAULIC SERVOS WERE INSTALLED CORRECTLY, AND NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE AIRFRAME WAS OBSERVED. THE HYDRAULIC SERVOS WERE REMOVED FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION. (.4) A MECHANIC CHANGED ONE OF THE HELICOPTER'S LATERAL CYCLIC SERVOS. THE HELICOPTER WAS TEST FLOWN BY THE PILOT WITH THE MECHANIC ONBOARD. AFTER A SUCCESSFUL TEST FLIGHT, THE MECHANIC EXITED THE HELICOPTER AND THE PILOT WAS TO REPOSITION THE HELICOPTER TO THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD. WHEN THE PILOT RAISED THE COLLECTIVE, THE HELICOPTER LIFTED ABOUT 2 TO 4 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, AND THEN BEGAN TO ROLL LEFT. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT FOR THE LEFT ROLL; HOWEVER, THE HELICOPTER DID NOT RESPOND AND THE MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE GROUND. EXAMINATION OF THE HELICOPTER REVEALED CONTROL CONTINUITY, AND THAT THE HYDRAULIC SERVOS WERE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. NO PREIMPACT FAILURE OF THE AIRFRAME WAS OBSERVED. EXAMINATION OF THE SERVOS REVEALED THAT TWO OF THE UNITS TESTED TO MANUFACTURER'S PARAMETERS. THE MASTER SERVO UNIT FAILED THE BENCH T EST, HAD THE APPEARANCE THAT IT HAD BEEN WORKED ON, AND DID NOT MEET MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATIONS. THE HELICOPTER MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THIS WOULD NOT INDUCE A 'HARD OVER.'
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N101UC · 5
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.