What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Tried first autorotation in homebuilt helicopter. Lost control. Destroyed on ground impact. Inadequate check out.(.4) a witness, who was a close friend of the pilot and assisted building the helicopter, observed the aircraft operating approximately 2,000 feet above ground level and about 500 feet from the approach end of runway 35. He then heard the engine slow down and go into `negative pitch mode.' The witness observed the helicopter in a nose low attitude and then heard a loud boom. He said that the helicopter came to a stop and then he saw pieces falling off the helicopter. The 25,000 hour career airline captain had about 6 hours of total flight time in helicopters. (-23) on September 9, 1997, at 1426 central daylight time a revolution mini 500 helicopter, N42JR, was destroyed when it collided with the ground following a loss of control immediately after initiating an attempt to execute an autorotation from an altitude of approximately 2,000 feet AGL to runway 35 at Idabel, OK, airport. The amateur built helicopter was owned by the ATP pilot and was on a local pleasure flight, 14 CFR part 91, visual meteorol ogical conditions prevailed throughout the area. The pilot received fatal injuries.
As the FAA filed it
TRIED FIRST AUTOROTATION IN HOMEBUILT HELICOPTER. LOST CONTROL. DESTROYED ON GROUND IMPACT. INADEQUATE CHECK OUT.(.4) A WITNESS, WHO WAS A CLOSE FRIEND OF THE PILOT AND ASSISTED BUILDING THE HELICOPTER, OBSERVED THE AIRCRAFT OPERATING APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL AND ABOUT 500 FEET FROM THE APPROACH END OF RUNWAY 35. HE THEN HEARD THE ENGINE SLOW DOWN AND GO INTO `NEGATIVE PITCH MODE.' THE WITNESS OBSERVED THE HELICOPTER IN A NOSE LOW ATTITUDE AND THEN HEARD A LOUD BOOM. HE SAID THAT THE HELICOPTER CAME TO A STOP AND THEN HE SAW PIECES FALLING OFF THE HELICOPTER. THE 25,000 HOUR CAREER AIRLINE CAPTAIN HAD ABOUT 6 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT TIME IN HELICOPTERS. (-23) ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1997, AT 1426 CENTRAL DAYLIGHT TIME A REVOLUTION MINI 500 HELICOPTER, N42JR, WAS DESTROYED WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH THE GROUND FOLLOWING A LOSS OF CONTROL IMMEDIATELY AFTER INITIATING AN ATTEMPT TO EXECUTE AN AUTOROTATION FROM AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATELY 2,000 FEET AGL TO RUNWAY 35 AT IDABEL, OK, AIRPORT. THE AMATEUR BUILT HELICOPTER WAS OWNED BY THE ATP PILOT AND WAS ON A LOCAL PLEASURE FLIGHT, 14 CFR PART 91, VISUAL METEOROL OGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED THROUGHOUT THE AREA. THE PILOT RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.