19980103002049I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Amtr COMMANDER532 · Newburyport, MA · January 3, 1998

Date: January 3, 1998 · 14:13 local
Place: Newburyport, MA
Airport: Plum Island Airport
Phase of flight: Fcd/Prec Ldg From Cruise
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: N2270R
Reported as: Amtr COMMANDER532
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 305 total150 in this make and model10 in the last 90 days

N2270RRegistration cancelled Apr 14, 2000 · Sweeney Richard F AIR COMMANDS/N 4-4-44 Airframe modelSweeney Richard F AIR COMMAND

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Narrative: during a pleasure flight of approximately 15-20 minutes at an altitude of 12-1400 feet, the passenger lost possession of his helmet. This action resulted in damage to two of the three blades of the propeller causing vibration and loss of power. The pilot shut down the engine and effected an emergency auto-rotation landing. The left landing gear dug into the soft sand causing the aircraft to pitch over on to the left side. This action resulted in damage to the left gear support tube and both main rotor blades. Estimated total value of the aircraft prior to the incident in $15K and estimated repair cost is $4.5K.

As the FAA filed it

NARRATIVE: DURING A PLEASURE FLIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MINUTES AT AN ALTITUDE OF 12-1400 FEET, THE PASSENGER LOST POSSESSION OF HIS HELMET. THIS ACTION RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO TWO OF THE THREE BLADES OF THE PROPELLER CAUSING VIBRATION AND LOSS OF POWER. THE PILOT SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE AND EFFECTED AN EMERGENCY AUTO-ROTATION LANDING. THE LEFT LANDING GEAR DUG INTO THE SOFT SAND CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO PITCH OVER ON TO THE LEFT SIDE. THIS ACTION RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO THE LEFT GEAR SUPPORT TUBE AND BOTH MAIN ROTOR BLADES. ESTIMATED TOTAL VALUE OF THE AIRCRAFT PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT IN $15K AND ESTIMATED REPAIR COST IS $4.5K.